Naruto: Paleblood
by dang3rday5
Summary: The man made another attempt to claw the boy but his arms had lost their strength. His legs gave way under him. The boy sucked at the wound on the man's neck until his struggling descended into pathetic shivering, and he fainted. As the boy began to drag the man into the dark alley, he remembered a childhood rhyme: "Good food, good meat, Good God, let's eat."
1. Chapter 1

Summary: Naruto is consummated under a blood moon. Minato and Kushina couldn't be happier. Then the Kyuubi attacks Konoha.

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

Dusk stretched violet fingers across an orange sky. The sun setting over Konoha spilled the Mountain's shadow over it. Buildings, once golden under the sunlight, began to mirror the night sky above; a dark plain dotted with tiny, electric lights.

A large red building stood sheltered under 4 enormous heads carved into the mountain side. It overlooked the entire village. It had stood since the village began, holding silent vigil over it like some dark statue. The Kanji for "Fire" was painted on the roof. It was the Kage Palace; home to every Kage since the village had been founded.

An old man sat in its throne and smoked from a long wooden pipe. He watched as the sky turned from blue to orange to dark purple then to black with speckled light. His gaze was wooden, his face sagging further than usual from his skull. Memory had not been kind to him. He could not forget.

"It was on a night like this," he thought, "a beautiful night like this."

He took a puff. Memory drifted up through the dissipating smoke. He remembered.

The Kyuubi was a natural disaster given physical form. Its footfalls rumbled the ground like earthquakes, its howls thundered through the air like cracks of lightning, and nine crimson tails wind milled in the air like a furious tornado. Konoha's noble ninja stood no chance against it. It wrenched the ground from underneath their feet. It caught and swallowed men whole in its grinning maw. It batted them from the sky with its tails and crushed them under its paws. The ninja fought valiantly. They breathed dragons of fire, sent lances of stone and gouts of pressurized water at it. They flung lightning bolts and blade of air at it. All of them struck the viscous chakra clinging to the beast, a red miasma that hung onto every fiber of its fur. It was impervious to anything they could throw at it.

Sarutobi Hiruzen, already an old man, was pacing the waiting room of the maternity ward of Konoha's hospital with his successor, Namikaze Minato. It frustrated him to be pulled from battle in such a desperate time but Minato had ordered him to come. His black and grey armor had several cracks in it, some of the shoulders were missing, and dust and blood caked his face so heavily that he could have passed for a rodeo clown. Hiruzen stopped pacing and looked at his successor.

He was a young man with a full head of blonde spikes. He wore a white coat over the standard jounin uniform and black sandals. He was Minato Namikaze, the fourth hokage, and one of the most powerful ninja the world had ever seen. Hiruzen gave him a look that bordered on frustrated rage.

"Why am I here, Minato?" he ground out, teeth gnashed together as if he was restraining himself from throttling the boy.

The hokage, who had been staring into the distance for some time now, turned towards him. "I have a baby boy." He said it the way you would say what was on your grocery list, or how you might read the back of a book.

Hiruzen grit his teeth. People were dying, his people, and yet he was on the other side of the village. "No, Minato. Why am I here?!" he had raised his voice to match his fury. "People are dying outside and you ordered me to come, so would you please tell me what is going on?!"

The Fourth's eyes glazed into chips of ice. "You'll remember who you're talking to, _Hiruzen_."

Hiruzen froze. Minato had never used that tone with him before. It was usually reserved for insubordinate ninja. He hadn't been talked to like that since he was a genin.

Minato took one look at Hiruzen's gaping mouth and sighed. He hadn't meant to sound so harsh but the options available to him were making things difficult to stay calm. Minato took a deep breath and said: "I'm making my son the new jinchuuriki."

Sarutobi Hiruzen felt the wind leave his lungs in a long sudden breath that made his knees shake. It was unthinkable. It was impossible. The battle-hardened ex-kage had been in two wars, fought and defeated an uncountable number of foes and held his wife's hand during childbirth (the last of which was the most grueling), yet he had never had heard something so horrible. Jinchuuriki were treated worse than pariahs. They were the literal equivalent of gutter snipe in the eyes of the public. Minato was talking about damning his child to a life of social rejection and isolation.

"Minato, how could you even consider tha—"

"I don't have a choice!" Minato said, his voice cracking at the end. He looked out the window to the giant fox rampaging through his village.

The Kyuubi let out another deafening howl that rocked the village. Some building collapsed in on themselves. Hiruzen had never heard an entire village scream before. It nearly drowned the Fox's voice. Hiruzen swallowed, then spoke. "You can't create a seal fast enough to seal that thing permanently, Minato please liste—"

"The Shiki Fuin," Minato said, his voice going flat and breathless like wind blowing through a hollow reed.

The Third Hokage felt another invisible blow drive the wind from his lungs. He became convinced that his successor was trying to kill him via heart-attack. He had never heard of a more drastic, half-assed plan in his life. Using the Shiki Fuin to seal the Kyuubi into his new-born son, the thought made Hiruzen's stomach go cold.

Yet, the more he thought about it, the more sense it made. They needed an unformed chakra system to seal the Kyuubi. A fully formed one would just break under the strain .The Shiki Fuin was the fastest choice given the circumstances. But it would kill whoever used it. The dreadful realization choked the words from Hiruzen's throat.

"Minato, you can't! You'll leave your son fatherless!"

The young hokage suddenly aged a hundred years. The skin under his eyes had puckered into pockets of leather. Deep wells had formed in his cheeks. His face hung loose from his chin. The transformation horrified Hiruzen.

"An orphan, actually," Minato said. He raised both hands, palms cupped like a beggar. "I'm a widower."

Only now did Hiruzen notice the silence. A giant red fox was rampaging outside, crushing buildings under its massive paws, and yet all was still in the waiting room. There wasn't a single sound coming from inside the maternity ward. Not even the cries of a new-born child.

"The rest of the staff fled after they finished. Trying to get to their families, I think. I can't blame them," Minato looked outside at the destruction, "I don't have a family anymore."

"But you'll die, Minato. You can't orphan your only son," Hiruzen pleaded.

"He's not my son. I don't know what that thing is, but it is not my son," Minato said. He turned to the closed maternity ward doors and trudged towards them. "Come on, have a look for yourself." He shouldered the doors open and stepped through. Hiruzen followed.

The maternity ward was a room covered in white. Medical equipment were strewn on the floor. Surgical knives, a bone saw, surgical scissors, a basin to wash up in and a tray to hold it all, sat just a little away from the still bed in the middle of the room. The bed sheets were pulled all the way up over the occupant's head. There was a big red stain where the stomach should have been.

Minato was on the other side of the room, looking out the window. "They had to cut her open to get it out."

"Since they didn't have the usual equipment necessary, she lost a lot of blood, so much blood. I didn't know people had so much blood in them."

He turned to stare at his predecessor with ancient eyes. "She was dead by the time they'd pulled it out of her."

"Where is he?" Hiruzen asked.

"It," Minato said.

"What?"

"It. That thing is not human."

"Minato, Kushina wouldn't want you to talk about your son that way."

"That thing is not my son!" Rage glinted off Minato's dull eyes. "It killed my wife. There is no way that _thing_ ever came from me."

Minato was grieving, he was sure of it. There was no way he could abandon his child. The man had been almost as excited as his wife when they heard she was pregnant. He hadn't been interested in any other subject besides being a father. He had quizzed Hiruzen for hours on the subject. He had annoyed his friends with inane questions about childrearing. He'd even asked his mentor, Jiraiya, a noted pervert. This wasn't the Minato who had read every book on parenting he could get his hands on, who had helped pick out baby clothes, who had practiced changing diapers in the Shinobi hospital. This was a man whose wife had died and whose village was currently being destroyed by a gigantic fox.

Another titanic step rumbled the very foundations of the hospital. The ceiling split into two plaster wedges and sprinkled them with dust. The lights flickered then continued to shine.

Hiruzen was thinking of a way to convince his successor then stopped. Something was off. The silence inside the maternity ward was disturbing. Dread began to pool in the bottom of his stomach.

"Where is he?"

Minato didn't answer. He was staring out the window again, surveying the destruction with detached awe, like a child looking at a dead body for the first time.

"Where is he, Minato?"

The blonde pointed towards the other end of the room. There was what looked like a crib hidden behind white curtains. Hiruzen walked towards them in slow, measured steps. He dreaded opening the curtains. What could make a man want to disown his son so quickly? What did Minato mean when he said the baby wasn't human?

He was halfway when he heard the soft breathing of the child, gentle sighs interspersed with small inhales. The sound reassured him. He walked more confidently to the cot. Hiruzen peeled the curtains back and peered down, expecting to see sleeping baby boy. He began to scream instead. The thing inside the cot woke and looked at him with three glowing eyes.

The third shuddered and sucked on his pipe. That image had kept him awake long after it had seared itself into his mind. He couldn't believe that it had turned into the young man he saw almost every day. His thoughts turned to the blonde boy. What was he doing?

Pale moonlight shone on blonde hair, making it glow in the dark. The boy was walking down the street on his way home. He wasn't supposed to be outside, but sometimes the night was too tempting to resist. He walked past a bar filled with rowdy patrons then sidestepped into the alley behind it. He was hungry. He hadn't had a thing to eat since yesterday. He crossed the alley and stepped out into the open street. His ears pricked up. Someone had screamed in the distance. He walked towards the sound.

Three streets down, he saw two shadows moving together. It was a man. He was holding something shiny in his right hand and had it pressed up to the second shadow's throat. It was a knife; one like the ninjas used, a kunai. The boy walked closer then pressed himself against the corner of the building. The second shadow was a woman with brown hair. She had both her hands up against the wall. Half her blouse had been torn open and the man was fondling one her covered breasts. She caught a glimpse of the blonde boy and began to beg with her eyes.

The boy got down on all fours and crawled around of the edge of the building and into the alley. The man didn't notice him. When he got close enough, the boy rose to his two feet. The man was now ripping the woman's blouse, further exposing her thin waist. The boy leapt onto the man's back and sank his razor sharp teeth into the side of his neck. The man yelped like a hurt animal then reeled backwards. The boy drew blood. The man dropped the knife and began to claw at the boy but to no avail, the boy had wrapped his arms around the man's neck and his legs around his waist. Blood trickled down the man's neck and stained the front of his shirt. The boy suddenly yanked back and tore a chunk of flesh from the man's neck. Blood gushed outward like a geyser, spraying the boy dark red. That broke the woman's paralysis. She screamed as the man lurched forward, hands reaching towards her. She ducked under his flailing arms and ran off into the night.

The man made another attempt to claw the boy but his arms had suddenly lost their strength. The boy spat the chunk from his mouth and set to the wound again. The man fell to his knees, his legs giving way under him. The boy unwrapped his legs and sucked at the man's neck. The man's struggling descended into pathetic shivering, then he fainted. The boy let the man fall to the ground and took a step back. He glanced towards the entrance of the alley. They were alone.

The situation reminded him of a childish rhyme he had heard in the orphanage. He said it in his head as it came to him: "Good food. Good meat. Good God, let's eat."

He picked up one of the dead man's arms and began to drag him towards the back of the alley.


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: Naruto is consummated on the night of a blood moon. Minato and Kushina couldn't be happier. Then the Kyuubi attacks Konoha.

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

Mitarashi Anko writhed in her bed. She was burning up even though she had taken her clothes off. Moonlight shone off sweat slicked skin. She was suffering unnecessarily. It felt like her blood was on fire. She reached for the smooth glass of the vial under her pillow then retracted her hand. She bit down on her bottom lip until she drew blood.

She would not scream.

Lightning ran up her spine and arched her back until it was ready to snap.

She would not scream.

The pain sparked up her limbs, making them twist and flail like the arms of an octopus. Her toes curled inwards. It was like being in the waves of an orgasm she couldn't stop. The pain drove spotlights into her closed eyes. As if trying to save itself from the agony, her mind turned to the only memory available. How she got this disease, and from who.

The forest of death was an almost eternal darkness. Save for the sunlight filtering through the tops of the trees, it was almost complete black at the bottom. The wildlife had adapted, their eyes caught what little light they could and reflected it into the dark, making them glow. Anko's eyes glowed as well.

She was on her way home when she saw something strange. Three glowing eyes, two in a pair beneath a third. The third eye was huge. She had never seen an eye that big before, not even on the giant tigers. She stopped and turned back. Thin shafts of light pierced the dark here. The eye was gone. In its place was a child, probably 10 years old. He had blonde hair so pale it was almost white. He was dressed a black jumpsuit with sandals. His eyes were blue disks. There were only two of them. And he was staring at her.

"What are you doing in my forest, brat?" she said, hands on her hips.

He didn't respond. He blinked once, then tilted his head to the side to look behind her.

"Hey! Didn't you hear me?" She leaned forward. "Huh?"

He tilted his head in the other direction.

"Tough guy, huh?" Anko flicked a knife at him, scored his cheek and disappeared. She reappeared behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck and licked the tiny slit.

"Delicious," she said.

The boy didn't flinch as her tongue ran across his cheek. Her eyes narrowed. His blood tasted funny. It was sweet, almost sickeningly so. Anko had tasted blood before. Any self-respecting shinobi had. Licking an open wound was like sucking on a penny. But this kid's blood was sweet. In fact, it tasted like syrup. Dango syrup. She had taken another lick before she could stop herself. Yes. Dango syrup. It even left the soft burn of cinnamon on her tongue. She began to suck at the wound. The blood was thick and sweet and went down her throat slowly like molasses or whipped cream. The boy didn't resist. She ran her tongue along the cut and her mouth hissed as she suckled on it. There was something underneath the sweetness. Something sickly. Like fruit preserves from an ancient can. His blood tasted old.

The pain started somewhere far away; the distant roar of an approaching storm. She felt her stomach tingle as the blood welled within. Then came the dull ache of fullness. She couldn't stop. It was too good. The knife piercing her stomach winded her. Anko let go of the boy and stumbled backwards, hands clutching her belly. It felt like her stomach was on fire, and the sensation quickly spread through her limbs. Her hands went up to her neck and clawed at the skin. Her throat burned. Anko bit back the urge to scream as knives tore at her insides. She couldn't breathe. Tears burned tracks down her cheeks.

She could see the boy through her burning eyes. He was staring at her with his head cocked to the left.

"Please…help me," she said, her voice rasping like metal on sandpaper. The boy smiled, took the knife she had thrown, neatly slit his wrist, and pressed the wound to her lips. Thick, sweet blood trickled down her throat. The dark of the forest claimed her.

Anko awoke facing an I.V bag filled with blood. It ran a red string from the bag into the needle in her arm.

"Hello," someone said beside her. Anko froze. She had spent nearly her entire life mastering her senses. No one was that quiet, no one could mask their scent that well. And yet, she wouldn't have noticed him if he hadn't spoken. Anko turned her head slowly.

Her window was facing east, and the sun had just begun to peek out from the thin line of the horizon. The boy sat in front of the window and the rising sun framed his head, turning his hair into a blazing white halo. She couldn't see his face but his eyes seemed to glow with the same brilliance.

"He's so beautiful," she thought.

"Hello," he said again. Anko choked on her words. His voice was light, airy, like a sparrow feather on the wind. It was the voice of an innocent. It made her heart ache.

"Are you well?"

That broke her enchantment. She had been looking directly at him. His lips hadn't moved.

"My name is Naruto," he said. Only, he didn't say it. His words rang clear through the valley of her mind.

Anko's hand flailed for the vial under her pillow. She popped the cork with her thumb and poured the contents onto her tongue. Sweet. She swirled it in her mouth, savoring the flavor, then swallowed. The fire in her veins was instantly smothered in a drunken euphoria that left her feeling like she was floating in mid-air. But under that drunkenness was something deep and longing. An unquenched thirst that left her rasping for air. She brought the vial back to her lips and tongued the residue from the inside of the glass. She was unsatisfied.

Konoha's Anbu division were the best of the best. They were the hand in the dark, protecting Konoha from its greatest enemies. They were the elite, the ones the hokage sent when he wanted something done. They did not know fear nor pain nor failure. They were nervous now.

The Hokage was tense. He usually did his daily duties with detached efficiency, like an automated machine performing its pre-determined task, but today his hand wouldn't stop shaking. It wasn't because of his arthritis either; the Hokage was trembling with rage. The four Anbu serving as his personal guards understood why. Another body had been found.

Counter to popular belief, the Hidden villages were not democracies. They were military regimes supported by a surrounding community. The civilian sector paid a tax to the military and the military provided protection to the civilian sector. They were two snakes constantly swallowing each other's tails. One of the military's duties was policing the village, upholding civil order and protecting the peace. They couldn't stop every crime in the village, but they made it so that the villagers felt safe to go out at night. There was only one problem:

A serial killer was loose inside Konoha.

They had no idea where he had come from but what they did know was that he appeared 6 years after the Kyuubi attack, during a time when Konoha was still recovering from the devastation.

The killer had a unique Modus Operandi. All his victims were criminals who had either committed a crime and had been convicted, or were in the midst of committing one. Another unique aspect of the murders were that there were almost always a witness available, whether it was someone who had been attacked and was saved, or someone who had accidentally stumbled upon a murder. There was also the fact that no one could give an accurate description of the killer; sometimes he had black hair, sometimes he had white. Sometimes he was a man and other times he was a boy. All this, coupled with the killer's skill in killing, pointed to one conclusion; he was a shinobi.

The crime scenes baffled forensics teams. They were grizzly, yes, with bits of flesh scattered around, blood spattered across the walls and soaking the ground. Sometimes only the eyes were missing, other times they had to use dental records to identify the victims.

But the one fact that made these killings so strange was that there was no evidence that he existed. Save for eye-witness accounts and the crime scenes themselves, there was no evidence that he had ever been there. He left no fingerprints, no saliva, no trace of chakra, not even a scent to track. It was like trying to prove the existence of a ghost.

The pen snapped under the Hokage's grip. He looked at it, sighed, and rubbed his eyes. He had been thinking about the case again. His thoughts usually drifted towards the murders when he let his mind wonder. It seemed to him that his moniker as "The Professor" was becoming slightly ironic in his old age.

A voice cut through the wool of his thoughts.

The third smiled and signaled his Anbu to relax. "Come in, Naruto."

A blonde boy stepped into the Hokage's office. He was thirteen years old but looked younger. Two large blue eyes peeked out from beneath cascading blonde hair that covered his forehead and fell to his shoulders. People sometimes mistook him for a little girl. Not that he minded.

Naruto closed the door then nodded to the four Anbu hidden in the room. Each nodded back and wondered how he knew they were there. He took a seat in front of the Hokage's desk and cocked his head to one side. His feet barely touched the ground as he swung them under his seat.

The third felt the smile slip from his face, then sighed.

"I'm just tired. You have probably already heard by now. They found another body."

The old man seemed to sag into himself. The Anbu suddenly realized how old their leader really was. He had always been a pillar of strength to them, someone who had fought in two of the three great wars and taken up the mantle of Hokage twice; a feat never before seen in Konoha's history. They sometimes forgot that he was an old man who was called out of retirement to lead a mourning village.

Naruto stood and walked over to the old man. Taking a seat in the his lap, he kissed his cheek. The old man smiled fondly at his surrogate grandson then let out a small sound as if he had just remembered something.

"Oh right," he said. He opened one of the drawers in his desk and took out a white envelope. He handed it to Naruto. "Your pay for the month."

The boy tucked the envelope into his back pocket, kissed the man's cheek again then stood to leave. A voice rose in the old man's mind as he left.

"Do not be concerned. All is well. I believe in you," it said.

It was the most beautiful voice he had ever heard. It made him ache with sorrow. How could such a voice be left unheard? The old man shook his head then set to his work again.

Naruto knocked on the door. This was his last stop for the night and he wanted to get out of her hair quickly. He understood that he made her uncomfortable. He understood it the same way he understood that his father had hated him, the same way he understood that the old man loved him, the same way he understood that he was not human. He understood that her discomfort was not because she hated him, or blamed him, but rather because she felt indebted to him for freeing her, and because she needed him. She hated needing him.

He knocked the door again. No answer. He was about to leave when the door swung ajar slightly. He looked through the slit. Complete darkness. If he left it on the table then he could leave without bothering her. He took a few cautious steps inside, hands feeling the dark for something to hold on to. He never noticed her slipping behind him, not before the knife had slit his throat.

The End

Author's note: Wow! This is the first time I ever posted a story before. 9 reviews and 19 follows for the first chapter is insane for a first time writer. Thank you very much for all the support. Also, please don't ask me about Naruto or his lineage, I have no idea where I am going with this. The first chapter was just something I thought about for a while. I have no actual plot beyond the first few chapters but I do have the base idea. I'm building around a single concept: Naruto is an infant great one. Hopefully all questions will be answered within the next few chapters.

Also, please review. I live on feedback. Tell me if I'm doing something wrong, if it is difficult to read, etc. Please, constructive criticism only.


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: Naruto is consummated on the night of a blood moon. Minato and Kushina couldn't be happier. Then the Kyuubi attacks Konoha.

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

Hinata Hyuga was _not_ in love.

She wasn't one of those girls playing ninja while painting their nails. She was a kunoichi. Or at least, she would be after the test later that day. She knew she would pass just as surely as she knew the sun would rise the next day, but she wasn't interested in that. She was looking for Uzumaki Naruto.

Veins bulged around pearl-colored eyes. Hinata scanned the crowd, purposefully ignoring the soft glow of chakra from her classmates. She wasn't looking for color. One of the few drawbacks to the Byakugan was that it left you color-blind while active. The Hyuga were trained to identify shapes while using the Byakugan. She was looking for the figure of a boy several sizes too small.

The bulged veins around Hinata's eyes receded. He wasn't here yet. She blew out a frustrated sigh. It wasn't like him to be late. No, she wasn't worried. She just didn't like inconsistencies. They threw her off her daily rhythm. She would have to be home in the next few hours and she didn't want to face her family without her daily sparring session with him. Fighting Naruto was a release from all the tension of her life. For a few seconds a day, she could let her hair down and fight the way she wanted to fight and speak the way she wanted to speak; no discussion about proper etiquette, no speeches about her duties to the clan, and no incessant chatter from her younger sister. Fighting Naruto was one of the highlights of her day. She would never tell him that though.

Class 3-A of the Ninja academy was shaped like a college lecture hall, with tables that stretched from one end of the class to the other like bar tops. Each table was separated into three columns by ascending stairs and each went up four levels. Thus creating 12 tables for the children, with each table holding 3 students. The class itself was segregated into 3 groups. The first group comprised of the Major clan heirs who sat on the right side of the class. The second was children from the minor clans. They sat in the middle. The final group of tables were reserved for the civilian sector kids, those whose parents were rich enough to bribe them in.

Hinata was sitting the in the right hand corner of the room. This wasn't just because she liked being alone, it was also a tactical vantage point in case of an attack. She had just given up looking for Naruto when she noticed Kiba climbing the stairs. He had someone on his back. She smiled. Naruto had arrived.

Inuzuka Kiba was waiting for Naruto near the class entrance. He did so every day, his instincts demanded it of him. As an Inuzuka, Kiba had been trained to rely on his instincts as much as his senses, to be as much an animal as he was human. And his instincts told him to obey Naruto. They told him that to face Naruto was to betray the pack, and that among his peers, Naruto was the strongest, the Alpha. His instincts told him to wait for Naruto before he sat. It was his Alpha's privilege.

Two small arms wrapped themselves around his neck. A chin dug into his shoulder. Something warm pressed against his cheek. Kiba's eyes darted to his assailant. Twin disks, the same color as the sky, stared back at him. He felt feet nudge his sides. The message was obvious: "Carry me." Kiba blushed, hooked his hands under Naruto's knees and began climbing the stairs.

Hinata struggled to contain her laughter. This was one of the little idiosyncrasies Naruto had developed with Kiba. He refused to climb stairs unless Kiba carried him. Its dual purpose was not lost on her. She didn't miss how Kiba's grip was firm yet gentle enough as to not bruise Naruto's skin; how he eased into his steps instead of swaggering forward; how he took the longer and harder path through the crowd to avoid jostling his passenger. Kiba held Naruto the way you would hold a tiny, glass figurine. In having Kiba carry him, Naruto was teaching him patience.

Kiba hefted Naruto until the last table on the right and plopped him down into the chair beside Hinata. Naruto turned his head and smiled at her. Hinata smiled back and lifted him onto her lap. Naruto was easily a head shorter than her, and light too. He fit snuggly under her chin. Naruto nuzzled into his seat and closed his eyes. Hinata smiled again. Sometimes she forgot he was also a child, and liked to be treated as one. Kiba took his seat and blew out an exasperated breath.

"You spoil him, you know that?

Hinata turned her head and said playfully: "Shut up."

She turned back to the blonde and brushed his pale hair aside. She inspected his cheek, the thin line of his jaw, the way his chest rose and fell. It was by chance that she saw the small white bandage around his neck. There was a tiny red slit on the fabric.

Her voice suddenly went very cold.

"Naruto, where did you get that?"

Naruto looked up at her, confused. She fingered the bandage. Naruto looked away, his cheeks beginning to red. He pulled a kunai from his back pocket and started making swift motions in the air, cutting motions, motions to incapacitate or kill your opponent, motion that he had no right knowing, then stopped. He hoped they understood what he meant.

Hinata pondered of a moment then grinned.

"You cut yourself training."

Kiba stared between the two, completely cut out of the conversations.

"What type of training was it?"

Naruto crossed his fingers and then another Naruto puffed into existence on top of the table. Another appeared on the other side of the classroom. The second Naruto took several kunai from his pocket, letting the edge of the blade catch the light. The knives seemed to cut the light in half, dividing it into two shafts, one slanting down to illuminate a desk, the other glittering into a thousand shards dancing on the adjacent wall. The third bushin nodded that he was ready. The second began to pelt the knives at his counterpart, each whistling in the air as they left his hand. The third bushin ducked under one knife, twisted to dodge the second then vaulted over the remaining two kunai. Each hit the wall behind him with a "thunk" sound like wood being chopped.

Then the two bushin popped into clouds of dissipating smoke. Hinata turned to blond in her lap, still shocked at the display of skill Naruto had shown.

"So you had an accident while training? By having your bushin throw knives at you?" Hinata said, her voice still low and icy.

Naruto nodded, unaware of the danger he was in.

"And where did you get the idea that throwing knives at yourself was training?"

Naruto pointed to Kiba. Hinata shot him a look that would wither the tongue of any lesser man.

"Kiba. What have you been teaching, Naruto?" She wrapped her arms protectively around Naruto's thin waist.

Kiba, who by now understood the implications of his predicament, began to edge away.

"I just told him about an exercise some Jonin do to train their reflexes. My mom does it sometimes. I've seen her."

"And why did you decide to tell Naruto about it? You know how impressionable he is."

Kiba felt the warning signs go off in his head. Hinata poked Kiba in the arm. He fell from his chair and groaned, clutching his arm. He glared up at her.

"Don't give me that look. You know you deserve it," she said, stroking Naruto's hair.

Kiba directed his gaze to the blond. He had an impish grin on his face.

"Fucking brat," he growled.

"What was that?" Hinata asked coolly.

"Nothing."

Naruto and Hinata stood on opposite sides of a white circle drawn in the dirt. This was the Taijutsu part of the exam and Hinata had asked Naruto to be her opponent. He was the only one that could stand up to her in a Taijutsu match. Hinata was in the standard Gentle fist pose, legs bent, her left arm extended and her right hand beside her face. Both had the index and middle finger pointing outward.

Naruto was completely relaxed. His arms were at his sides. This was a lie. Hinata had fallen for it the first time they had fought but was wary after that. Naruto was completely ready for anything she could throw at him. His small size and height lulled his opponents into a false sense of security. He was devilishly fast, almost frighteningly so. She sometimes shuddered at the thought of him using a weapon.

The audience was silent, save for the occasional cough. Their matches were always extraordinary.

Neither moved. They knew the first one to strike would be at a disadvantage, but they couldn't stay still forever. Hinata's nerve broke first. She rushed towards him, hands poised to strike. She jabbed at his face and struck air. Naruto had ducked under her extended arm and threw an elbow, catching her in the nerve cluster in her armpit. Hinata grunted and kicked out. Naruto caught the offending leg and flipped her onto her stomach, winding her. He twisted, bringing her leg up and sat on her back. She was pinned.

Hinata cursed and tried to push herself up but she couldn't feel her left arm and Naruto would viciously twist her ankle whenever she tensed her shoulder. She let out a ragged breath and muttered defeat. Naruto lifted her up. He held her arm over his shoulders. Hinata smiled despite herself.

"My legs work fine, dummy," She said.

Naruto ignored her and helped her back to her seat. The audience clapped. Most of their fights were that quick, usually being decided in one or two moves. Their instructors nodded. Real shinobi battles rarely lasted more than a minute or two. They were trained to go for the killing blow as quickly as possible. Only rookies let fights drag out too long.

Kurenai Yuhi was in mental distress. She had been summoned to the Hokage's office to discuss team assignments and she had a choice to make. She had thought she would create a tracking team with the Aburame, Hinata and the Inuzuka heir, Kiba. That had been her plan and but Hinata had caught her outside the Kage Palace. Her words were still echoing through Kurenai's mind as she ascended the stairs:

"I know you want a tracking team. I know you want the Aburame. Take Naruto. I don't care who you pick after that. I won't work with Aburame."

Kurenai shivered at the cool tone Hinata had used. At first she was outraged, how some Genin, fresh from the academy, could dare to tell her, a newly appointed Jonin, what to do, she didn't know. She outranked her in every aspect of being a shinobi; she would not be talked down to by her potential student. She had told Hinata as much. Then Hinata had said something that winded Kurenai:

"Naruto had something to do with Anko's disease."

Then the Hyuga heir walked away.

Kurenai had wanted to call her back and have her explain her statement but she was already late. She turned, dazed, and began to climb the stairs.

Kurenai had always had her suspicions about the boy. She had met him the day that Anko had been diagnosed with a new disease, one that facilitated she drink a red liquid 24 hours. Anko had been propped up on a pair of pillows and for the life of her, couldn't look at the boy. Her eyes always wandered up to the ceiling or down to the floor or off into a corner. She looked relieved when Kurenai arrived and the boy excused himself with a nod.

Anko had been acting strange ever since.

She had taken her medicine in front of Kurenai before. And damned if she didn't notice Anko's reaction.

She would take the vial out with a grimace, as if it physically hurt her to touch the glass. Then she would uncork it and sniff it, inhale it, like it was a perfume. She would put it to her lips and let it drip over her tongue like honey, she sloshed it in her mouth, she savored it the way a child would savor caramel or chocolate. Then she would stare off into space for 10 minutes. Kurenai had to slap her out of it.

Now she had proof that the boy had something to do with it. Something that Anko would never tell her, and Anko told her everything; even her favorite sex positions. As much as she wanted a pure tracking team, she wanted to know what was wrong with her best friend more.

Kurenai entered the Hokage's office.

Hinata Hyuga was not in love with Uzumake Naruto.

Yes, she was following him, and yes, it could be considered stalking, but what other choice did she have? Although she was comfortable with the fact that she was the blond's friend, she barely knew anything about him. He was a complete mystery to her. Hinata did not like mysteries.

Her world revolved around a few key facts. First was the fact that she was a clan heir and that meant she had to attend various balls and meetings that she had no interest in; second, her cousin blamed her for the death of his father, her uncle; and third, she had no idea who Naruto was. Her very existence since birth had been a quantified equation of strict upbringing and discipline. Her one shred of rebellion lied in the few seconds she spent exchanging blows with Naruto. She needed more of that feeling. And the act of acquiring more meant that she needed to manage it, to fit it into the tapestry of her life. She needed to know Naruto like the back of her hand.

Hinata had been following him since he left the academy, just a few seconds after he had parted from Kiba. He had spent ten minutes working through the stinking alleys and passages threaded through the cloth of the village; each somehow pitch black despite it being the middle of the day. She followed him as he exited the village limits and made his way into the Shinobi training grounds. She stayed close to the foliage, crawled through shrubs and checked her footing for any twigs or branches. She had her Byakugan on the entire time. Hinata Hyuga would not be caught.

Naruto led her further through the grounds, past fields burned barren and empty lakes and giant boulders half crushed to dust. She had even seen one peppered with rusted kunai. She wondered who had destroyed those once green fields. She decided she didn't want to know.

Naruto stood in front of forest bordered with a barbed wire fence. The trees were huge. Each the same width as one of Konoha's buildings. The forest was dark. She doubted she would have been able to see the bases of those trees if she didn't have the Byakugan. Naruto turned around and looked at her hiding spot. He smiled and waved, then he disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

Hinata rose from behind the bushes and wondered how long he had known she was there. She sighed. At least now she knew where he spent his free time.

Anko had just spent the last two hours punching one of the giant trees. Her hands were bloodied from the beating but she had made a respectable dent. One of the benefits of her "ailment" was enhanced strength. She was roughly twice as strong as she once had been before. Not that she considered it a blessing, she would prefer her freedom over the abilities granted to her.

Naruto landed on the branch above her and watched her. She only noticed him because he let her. She turned, hands dripping red, and looked up at him. She flinched as if she had looked into the sun and then looked away.

"What do you want?" she said. She had her arms straight at her sides, feet drawn together, and head bowed. It saddened Naruto to see her like that.

A voice floated through the front of her mind, cutting off all other avenues of thought.

"Why do you hate me?" he asked.

"I don't," she muttered.

"Then why can't you look at me?"

She brought her face up and glared at him.

"Cause I almost killed you last night," she looked down at her hands, "I almost killed you and you come looking for me. What's your problem, kid?

Naruto smiled. That sounded more like the Anko he knew.

"Because you're in distress," he said, "I could feel it last night."

Anko seemed to get angry. "Stay out of my head."

"I don't need to read your mind to tell you were hurt when you ran off. Also, I couldn't read your mind even if I tried."

Anko looked surprised by the news.

"You can't? But I thought the whole mind thing with you talking-"

Naruto laughed. She noted how his voice raised in pitch while he laughed.

"The seal isn't like your previous one. I'm not like your former master."

Anko had the decency to blush.

"I know. I'm sorry. It's just—"

"You don't like relying on anyone," he said.

Anko met his gaze.

"Yeah. I mean, I was finally free of that bastard and now," she held up her hands in defeat, "now I'm an addict, and for your blood too. If that isn't irony, I don't know what is."

Naruto looked thoughtful. "If a man dying of hunger asked you for food, would you give it?"

Anko eyes widened then narrowed. "What kind of question is that?"

"Please, humor me."

She sighed and rested bloody palms on her hips. "Yes. I would give him food."

"And would you give water to a man dying of thirst?"

"Yes."

"Then what is the problem?"

Anko gave him a frustrated look.

"Enough games. What's your point?"

"You need blood like humans need food and water. Without it you'll die. So it's natural to seek out the source of blood. It just means I didn't give you enough. You wouldn't blame a hungry man for eating, or a man dying of thirst for drinking, why then would you blame yourself for seeking something you need?"

Anko began to retort then stopped. The argument actually made sense.

"Carnivores hunt for their food. They drink blood and eat meat. Humans need just as much blood and meat to survive. You just need a bit more. That's all," Naruto said. "Unless you're scared."

Anko cocked her head to the side. "And what's that supposed to mean?"

Naruto looked away, clasped his hands behind his back and rocked on his heels.

"Oh nothing. I mean, if you're scared—"

"Who said anything about being scared, brat?"

He removed a vial from his back pocket and held it up to one of the thin beams of light shining through the foliage. It was filled with his blood. Anko inhaled deeply, filling her being with its scent.

"You play dangerous games, little boy." She growled, eyes glowing in the low light.

Naruto smirked. "Come and get it then," he said, then flitted away.

Anko felt a predatory smile spread across her face. There was nothing like a good hunt.

Two shadows flitted across the dancing light through the trees. One, blond and small, dressed in black, lead through the darkness. A larger shadow gave chase. Anko was surprised at the boy's speed. She was moving as fast as she could but was having trouble keeping up with him.

"What's wrong, old lady?" Naruto crowed, "Can't keep up?"

Anko didn't answer. She knew he was taunting her, and she knew he was right, she couldn't keep up, but she also knew this forest like the back of her hand. That included the locations of the traps hidden in the tops of the trees.

Naruto landed on a branch the size of a small road. There was a clearing below him where the light breached the leaves, shining a spotlight down onto the grass and loamy soil. He jumped to get to the next branch when his foot snapped a gossamer thread. A large net with weights at the corners dropped from above and stopped his momentum, making him fall down into the small alcove of light. He hit the ground with an audible thud. Stunned, he had no time to escape before Anko was upon him, ripping the net off and straddling his waist.

"Caught ya, brat."

Naruto threw the vial against a tree, smashing it and splashing the bark with blood.

"No!" Anko cried. That was hers. She needed it.

"Now what are you going to do?" Naruto taunted, a malicious grin stretched the skin of his cheeks, making them gaunt and thinned, as if he were a starving child.

Anko fixed him with a murderous glare. How dare he taunt her like that? How dare he tease her with his potent drug then deny her? Her eyes drifted to the small red smear peering through the gossamer cloth of his bandage. Fine. If he wouldn't give it willingly, then she would take it!

Anko ripped the bandage from his neck and set her lips to the wound, biting down with her teeth to make sure he couldn't escape. She began to drink, sucking at the cut she had made the night before, swallowing a huge, greedy mouthfuls. That instant euphoria was upon her. She could feel him, could feel the gentle thrum of his pulse beneath her tongue; the sweet, sweet nectar of his blood filling her stomach. She swallowed mindlessly, her arms wrapped around his neck, cradling him like baby. His pulse began to slow. Her conscious mind suddenly broke through the drugging ecstasy. She was killing him! Anko pulled back quickly, almost jarring her neck with the force of her move. Thin arms stopped her and brought her back to the wound. Lips ghosted the inside of her ear.

"Mark me," he said, voice faint with wanting.

Anko froze, then felt her resolve crumble. She drifted, lips caressing from his neck to his collar bone, to the area between his neck and his shoulder. She kissed it once, then bit down hard enough to draw blood.

A stray thought drifted up as she licked the drippings of blood where her teeth had punctured skin.

"MINE!"


	4. Chapter 4

Summary: Naruto is consummated on the night of a blood moon. Minato and Kushina couldn't be happier. Then the Kyuubi attacks Konoha.

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

Mitarashi Anko sat at the foot of her bed, naked, hating herself. There was a man asleep on the other side. Her hands clutched the edge of her bed and shook. She resisted the urge to retch. Every cell in her body felt sick.

She had looked down Naruto after she had marked him and gasped. His hair was spread out like halo circling his face, his arms were wrapped around her neck; he seemed so fragile, so innocent. Then she saw what she had done. Blood had pooled on his neck, dripped down to the ground and puddled underneath him. He was so pale. His eyes stared aimlessly into hers. She felt her mind breaking through the haze of pleasure. She had nearly killed him, again. She felt reality rip the veil of her happiness. She looked down at her hands. They were covered in blood. She felt the awful truth raise its voice inside her:

"For all his love, you can only offer him ruin."

She fled.

Anko entered the first bar she could find and began to drink. She needed to get control of herself. She needed a firm dose of reality. That's when he had appeared. He was plain-looking, one of those guys who thought she was an easy lay, that thought he could charm the "snake whore". She so loved drinking them out of their money.

That's when she had the stray thought: "What better way to take control than some drunken, loveless fucking?" It had seemed a good idea at the time.

Now she sat at the end of her bed. The sex had been meaningless and unsatisfying; like humping a cardboard box. Tears pooled at the corners of her eyes. She felt like every cell in her body was disgusted with her very existence. Naruto had looked at her with more love than she had ever seen. Even if she was addicted to his blood, even if she had to depend on him, hadn't that wonderful warmth she felt when she was in his presence been the only time she had truly felt loved? And she had betrayed that bond. For what? Some cheap feeling of self-control? For momentary and impotent satisfaction? No. It was because she had loved someone before and he had betrayed her. Because she never truly trusted anyone since. Because Naruto loved her. And she had doubted that love.

Anko put her hand over her mouth, retched, and then swallowed. She truly was a snake whore.

Someone knocked on her door. She stood and opened it. There was no one there. Whoever knocked had left. Her gaze dropped to her doormat and the blood drained from her cheeks. There, just beside the word "welcome" was a vial filled with blood.

He knew. God, god, god!

* * *

A warm breeze blew through Konoha, sweeping up dust and leaves, slipping past the buildings, creating an updraft that carried the leaves past and over the Kage Monument. The breeze rustled Naruto's hair. He was sitting on the Fourth's head overlooking the village. He stared into the sunset.

Anko's reaction had not surprised him. He shouldn't have pushed her so far so quickly. He hadn't expected her to sleep with someone though. That had been a shock to his system. He had run off before he could face her. He couldn't face her. Not yet.

A part of him understood. She had wanted some independence. He had acted too rashly. She wasn't ready to be vulnerable like that.

Another part was hurt and angry. He wanted to go back and demand an explanation, but just to watch her squirm. He knew he could hurt her. It would be so easy to break her illusions and leave her adrift in a sea of her own self-loathing. It would be so easy to hurt her. He wanted to hurt her.

But the oldest part of Naruto, the part that watched from outside himself, observed these emotions with complete detachment. It was the part that understood all the things of the world. It was the all-knowing, all-seeing eye of the universe; the Eldritch Truth. It reasoned with the other parts, made them see from her perspective, made them understand. It was the wise mother cooing to her sleeping child.

Naruto sighed. Sometimes he thought about leaving. He could go into the deepest part of the forest, to the one silent lake hidden in the brush, and just sleep. He could sleep until the world ended and was born anew. He could cocoon himself in the deep dark water, and wait until the mountains were rend to dust and the deep oceans turned to deserts of salt. The human part of him, however, knew that it would be a lonely existence; one without pain but also without joy. It would be worse than death.

Naruto sat and stared into the dying light. Deep inside him, waves crashed against the shores of his mind. He could hear the ocean.

* * *

Team 8 waited on Training Ground 18, a dry patch of land with yellow grass swaying in the wind. There was a large stump in the center. Kiba sat upon it with his white puppy on his head. He was wearing his signature grey coat and black pants despite it being a sunny day. Hinata sat in the grass nearby. Her coat was light blue with white fur at the collar and cuffs. She wore dark blue pants and sandals. Her hair, the color of midnight, hung down to her shoulders. Her headband was tied around her neck. She had Naruto in her lap again and was braiding a lock of his hair. Naruto let her and leaned back, hands in his lap. His eyes were closed. He was dressed in a long white shirt that touched his knees. It appeared as if he were wearing a sun dress. His headband was tied around the end of his pony tail.

"When do you think Sensei is going to get here?" Kiba asked, stretching his arms into the air.

Hinata curtly ignored him and continued to braid Naruto's hair. The blond looked at Kiba and smiled.

"Of course you don't know. Guess we'll just have to wait." Kiba said. He fell back and locked his hands behind his head. "She told us to meet her at 11 o' clock, right?

Naruto nodded.

Kiba closed his eyes. "Must be midday by now."

"Stop complaining," Hinata said.

"I'm not, I'm just saying—"

Hinata felt the hairs on her neck stand up. Her Byakugan activated on reflex.

"Someone is here," she said.

Kiba sprang up, nearly knocking Akamaru from his perch.

"Where?"

Hinata looked around, her eyes allowing her to look behind her without moving her head. The surroundings nearby was empty save for them, so she expanded her sight to the tree line, or rather, to just above it. There, about 40 meters away up in a tree, was a small wall of chakra, just enough to hide a single body.

"Kiba, behind you, 40 meters."

Kiba visibly stiffened then relaxed. He began to sniff, inhaling in quick bursts then exhaling, "Yeah. Someone's there. A lady, I think. I can smell perfume." Akamaru nodded in agreement.

Naruto got out of Hinata's lap. Hinata rose with him.

"So what do we do?" Kiba asked. He was still facing them.

"Nothing. Whoever it is knows that we know where they are now. All we have to do is wait," Hinata said, Byakugan flaring, "Get ready."

Kiba felt his shoulder tense as his nails extended, getting ready for a fight. Hinata had her hands at her sides, fingers already poised to strike. Naruto swung his arms back and forth. He had wondered how long it would take them to notice her.

Hinata was ready when the veil of charka broke and a figure began to rush towards them. 20 meters, 15 meters, 5 meters, "Now!" she cried. All 3 Genin leapt away as the figure just reached them, each going in a different directions and speeding for the tree line. They were all almost into the surrounding forest when a voice called from behind them.

"You pass!" someone shouted. Hinata spun on her heel, bringing both hands to bare. A woman with raven hair was standing on the stump. She was wearing a dress that looked like it was made out of paper. One of the sleeves was missing. Hinata's Byagukan allowed her to see the Konoha headband on the woman's arm.

"Oh, Kurenai-sensei," she said, blushing slightly at her foolishness. Naruto and Kiba had already vanished into the distance. "We thought you were an enemy ninja."

Kurenai approached her, smiling. "I know. That was the point of the test."

"Test?" Hinata asked.

"Every team is assigned a test to see if they can truly be Genin of Konoha. I made a test that would demonstrate teamwork. You all performed wonderfully."

Hinata nodded. "Sensei, can we get the rest of the team back before you explain? I think they ran home."

Kurenai gazed at her team with a critical eye. Hinata was busy teasing the boys for running so far away. They had to chase them all the way back to the village. Kiba seemed embarrassed but Naruto took it with a generous smile.

Naruto.

Kurenai had been watching him since she had arrived. He didn't fool her for a moment. He had looked in her direction several times when she was hidden. He had known she was there even before Hinata had sensed her.

The offending blond was currently back in his favorite chair, Hinata. They were all on the stump now, with Hinata squeezing in beside Kiba.

Kurenai cleared her throat. "Okay. So as you know, this last hour was a test."

"Yeah but why?" Kiba asked, blundering into her well prepared speech.

Kurenai sighed and rubbed her temples. "Kiba, please wait until I'm finished speaking before you ask a question."

Kiba, looking sheepish, nodded.

"Okay. This was a test of your tracking prowess and teamwork. I must say that I am impressed with how quickly you found me. I expected you to take longer."

Kiba's chest swelled at her praise and he would have said something if not for Hinata who shot him a baleful look.

"Every team sensei has their own version of the test, this way the team can't cheat. My test was to see how you would react when approached by an unknown entity. You passed with flying colors," Kurenai said.

Kiba raised his hand like an obedient student. "But what was the point of making us wait an hour? How did we pass?"

"I didn't make you wait. I was actually waiting for you to find me. I would have sent you back to the academy if you hadn't found me."

"What!? But we didn't even know you were there!?" Kiba cried.

Hinata pinched the bridge of her nose. He may have learned some patience but he could still be a blockhead.

"That was the point of the test, idiot. She wanted to see if we could find her without knowing she was there. That's why tracking teams exist; to find things they can't see," she said, resisting the urge to hit the Inuzuka heir.

"Oh," he said.

Naruto laid a hand on Kiba's shoulder and smiled at him. Kiba smiled back.

"Thanks, Naruto."

Kurenai was once again surprised at the teams dynamic. Hinata was clearly the leader. During the test she had _taken_ command. The other two had not doubted her for a moment when she said she saw someone, and they had followed her lead as well as any ANBU would.

Kiba seemed to be the muscle of the group. Someone who fights first and leaves the questions up to their teammates.

She couldn't place Naruto though. Everything about him seemed plain. His clothes were white. He had a slender frame. His grades were average. The only notable thing about him was that he looked like a little girl, but besides that he was as unassuming as a glass of milk.

It made her suspicious.

"There is a problem though," Kurenai said, bringing the attention back to her. "Naruto is mute. The main way Shinobi communicate over long distances is through the use of radios like this," here she held out a small ear piece with a tiny microphone attached, "Naruto can listen but he can't communicate any information, so we need another method."

"What's that?" Hinata asked, absent-mindedly stroking Naruto's hair.

"It's a secret method of communication that only the most elite are allowed to use but the Hokage has made an exception in your case," Kurenai said, "Naruto, if you would?"

The blond got out of Hinata's lap and produced a small scroll from his pocket which he rolled out onto the ground. He placed a single finger on it. It erupted in a cloud of smoke and revealed a brush and a small pot of ink.

"What's that for, man?" Kiba asked.

"It's something Naruto developed to make up for his lack of speech," Kurenai answered.

She rolled up her only sleeve to reveal a small tattoo on her forearm. It was a star with an eye in the center.

"It's a seal that allows Naruto to directly transfer his thoughts into our minds," she said.

Kiba and Hinata turned their heads to the tiny blond, eyes wide with wonder.

"Naruto made that?" Kiba said, inspecting the seal with something like awe.

"He is a bit of a genius when it comes to seals. The Hokage himself employs Naruto as a seal master in the Torture and Interrogation department." Kurenai added. Anko had told her that bit of information, though not as eloquently. She had used the word "brat" several times in her description.

Hinata stared fixedly at the seal. Another puzzle piece had fallen into her lap. She began to realize how much more she had yet to discover about Naruto. She smiled on the inside, although her face betrayed no emotion besides a mild hint of surprise. Hinata loved a challenge.

Kiba looked at Naruto with similar degrees of awe and admiration. He knew that Naruto was strong, but to be in the Hokage's employ at their age was almost unheard of. He could only think of two others who had achieved such status, Uchiha Itachi and Kakashi Hatake. To think that Naruto was on par with those geniuses; if there had ever been a doubt about Naruto, it was firmly smote from his mind. Kiba was proud to call him his Alpha, and even more so to call him his friend.

Naruto unscrewed the jar and dipped the brush in the ink. He held it up and arched one brow.

"Where do you want it?" Kurenai asked.

Hinata unzipped her coat and pulled down the collar. Naruto painted the symbol with a few deft strokes on the soft flesh stretching from her neck to her collarbone. He turned to Kiba who bore the left side of his neck. Naruto painted it then blew on the ink until it was dry.

"So how do we know if it's working?" Kiba asked, gently brushing the marked area with his fingers.

"You'll be able to hear me," Naruto said, his voice echoing in the forefront of their thoughts.

The three were instantly awe-struck by its beauty. His voice hit a tenor that was almost too high in pitch to be heard. It was like that of a child just learning to speak, yet, there was something more; something under the innocence, something that rang hollow, as if the voice had a hidden intent, a whisper under the veil of an angel; a sinister intelligence. But they didn't notice, for they were hypnotized by the soft ring of his voice.

Naruto smiled at their shocked expressions. "Hello, my name is Naruto."

* * *

Naruto and Hinata were walking home together. Team had 8 done some training in tactical formations and teamwork after they were properly introduced. It was nearly dark now, the last of the orange sky retreating behind the mountains as night approached. The Inuzuka estate and Kurenai's apartment lay on the other side of the village, so they had parted ways some time ago.

Hinata was silent. She had been mulling things over for quite a while, compiling information and forming a plan of action that would bring her closer to her goal. She glanced sideways at her companion. He was also silent. Perhaps he was thinking about confronting her on her blatant stalking? No. Naruto had known she was following him since he left the academy. She had not seen anything he did not want her to see.

"Do you want to join me for dinner?"

This, although it sounded like an ordinary invitation, was actually a strategically planned point of attack. One of the main problems Hinata had was the fact that she didn't spend enough time with Naruto outside his normal schedule. She always saw him during class, but besides that she didn't see him at all. Her solution was this: she had to spend more time with Naruto, and not in team meetings either. She needed to have unscheduled time with him, moments when they could be alone, or when she could catch him off-guard. This would allow her to learn his mannerisms, the little things that would give away his true intentions. She wanted to be able to read him like an open book. And the first step to this end was getting him out of his comfort zone.

Naruto looked surprised then his face returned to it's usual serene look. Hinata gave herself a mental high-five. "Yes, I would like that."

They stopped in front of a large wooden gate with torches on either side of it. A white banner with the Kanji for "Hyuga" hung across the top of it.

"Shall we?" Naruto asked, one arm sweeping aside to open the gate for her.

"Do lets," she replied and walked inside.

Hyuga dinners were usually silent affairs, but this was ridiculous. Almost all of the Main Family was in attendance at dinner and even though it was usually a silent affair, there was at least some form of small-talk. The only sounds in the dining room now were the tiny clacks of chopsticks on plates. Nearly two dozen people were seated in two long knee-high tables surrounding by paper walls. There were four guards posted in each corner of the room, one of them was a teenage boy maybe a year older than Naruto himself. He had his eyes firmly fixed to the back of the boy's skull. Other members of the Main family shot him quick, furtive glances.

Hinata absorbed this new information with relish. She was seated beside Naruto. Her father, Hiashi, sat at the head of the table. And he couldn't stop looking at Naruto.

Hinata was as awe-struck as Kiba had been earlier that day. Naruto, although he hadn't said a single word since he arrived, was still somehow the center of attention. It was like magnetism, everyone was just drawn to him. Even her sister was flashing small looks at him. Naruto seemed oblivious to the attention. He was just eating his meal without a care in the world. She had expected embarrassment, maybe even some shyness, but not this. The whole point of this venture was to catch Naruto off-guard. She had caught her whole family off-guard instead.

Then another thought struck her: how did her entire family know about Naruto?

"Naruto," she said, "have you met my family before?"

There came a deafening silence unlike the one before, as if some great secret had spilled from her lips. This only furthered her curiosity. Naruto turned his head towards her.

"I was in the right place at the right time. I've only met your father and his brother, and only once," he said, "It was a long time ago." Of course, none of the Hyuga' could hear him.

Hinata drew closer to him. "When did you meet them?"

"I met them the same time I met you."

If Hinata was surprised, she didn't show it. "The day we started at the Academy?"

"No, when we were little. You were in a sack at the time, so I don't think you saw me. But I remember you."

Hinata did freeze this time. What Naruto was describing was the most important moment in her life.

She was 6 at the time, so parts of her memory failed her, but she remembered being woken by a noise and going to investigate it, she remembered being struck semi-unconscious, being stuffed into a sack and carried away, but it was the moment she woke up that terrified her the most. It was close and warm and dark, her knees were pressed against her chest and it was hard to breathe, it felt like she was on the verge of swallowing herself, of choking on herself. She pushed out, trying to break free of the sack that was scraping her raw, and failed. She was too weak. She was too young. And then he spoke.

He told her that he was taking her away from her family. He said that she was to be breeding fodder. That her children would be the property of Kumogakure. That he would be the first to father her children. Even as a child, she knew what that meant. It filled her belly with bitter terror that crept up her throat and made her retch. Then she vomited all over the bastard's back.

This had turned out to be the defining moment of her life. Suddenly the man had stopped mid-stride and dumped her onto the ground. It had hurt, but it had also stopped him long enough for her father and uncle to catch up and kill him. She was glad to see them, but there was bitter anger under that joy. She had wanted to kill that man. But she was too weak. If her father hadn't arrived in time then she would have been a sex slave for the rest of her life. And the thought that she had no way to stop it, that she had no say in her own destiny, sickened her. She swore to never be weak again.

Afterwards, she had replayed those images inside her head until they had become her every waking moment, until she could call them back at an instance. They were what fueled her, stoked her fires when she thought she could not go on, they were the rock that anchored her against the river of her life. For them to be claimed false was nothing less than heresy to her. She would have killed the man who dare trample on her memories. But it wasn't a man who had shattered it, it was her best friend.

"What happened that night, Naruto?" she said, voice dropping until it was a low growl.

"I accidentally ran into the man who was kidnapping you. He knocked me over and was about to kill me when you're father arrived and killed him."

Hinata felt her composure begin to crack. She couldn't confront Naruto in front of her family. And it felt like she was about to explode. She grabbed his arm and dragged him away from the table.

"We need to speak."

The Hyuga household watched them leave in utter silence.

Hinata led Naruto by the arm into a big, square room with no walls beside the one connecting it to the house. She took him into the middle of the room, pushed him back and fell into the Hyuga stance. The veins around her eyes bulged.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

Naruto was completely relaxed. "Because it didn't matter."

Hinata rushed forward and nailed him on the cheek, bruising her hand. Naruto let the motion of the blow spin him around and drove his foot into her solar-plexus, winding her. She retreated back.

"Why didn't you tell me that you saved me that night?"

This time she took out kunai and threw it at him as she ran towards him, no gentle fist this time, just plain old brawlin. She ducked under Naruto's swipe to deflect the kunai and rammed her shoulder into his stomach, making them both fall onto the ground. Hinata had recovered before Naruto and was now straddling his chest. Before Naruto could recover, she began to rain blows down onto his face. She punched, scoring the chin, the nose, his left cheek, each striking their pre-designated target with savage precision.

She stopped and gripped the sides of his face:

"Why?"

That one night had changed Hinata's life. It was the first time she had saved herself. It had taught her that she could be strong, that she could be resourceful. It had turned her from a victim into fighter. It had drove her forward through the many obstacles of her life. It was a lie.

Tears splashed down onto Naruto's face. Hinata was crying.

"Does it really matter? Does it matter who saved you?"

Hinata wanted to retort but found her throat suddenly too dry to speak.

"I didn't make you who you are. You did. Everything was you. But I had my own selfish reason for keeping the secret."

Hinata left the next "why?" unsaid.

"Because I wanted you to be my friend."

She did cry this time, huge sobbing cries that echoed through empty halls of the Hyuga estate.

* * *

Hinata and Naruto were standing just outside the Hyuga compound at night. They hadn't said a word they had returned from the sparring hall. Naruto's face was covered in bandages that stretched across his nose and down to the left side of his jaw. That was where most of the swelling had taken place. Hinata looked apologetically at him. He could read her thoughts.

"No need to say sorry. I was keeping a secret from you that you needed to hear. I got what I deserved." He said, the words floating like silhouettes through her mind.

Hinata smiled despite herself. She regretted hitting him, but at the time it had seemed the only way to get convey her feelings of betrayal on the subject.

It seemed that he had betrayed her in two way; the first was that he let her believe she had saved herself. But he had also cemented her confidence and allowed her to become the person she was today.

The second way he had betrayed her was that he never owned up to being her hero. She had felt tricked and more than slightly ashamed that all of her clan knew except for her. If she had known…the thought stopped in its tracks. What would have happened if she had known? Then he would have become her idol. She would have placed him on a pedestal and sought him out not as a friend, but as a source of strength. She would have been less than a woman. She may even have become…a fangirl.

Hinata shuddered at the thought. No, it was better this way. In fact, a part of her believed this was all according to Naruto's plan. That he had manipulated this whole event to happen. She dismissed the thought as poppycock. She had invited Naruto to dinner. It had been part of her plan. It had taken an unexpected turn, but she had ultimately achieved her goal. She now knew more about Naruto. This taste only fueled her craven curiosity. She would know more.

Naruto then did something that almost made her glow in the moonlight. He leaned on the tips of his toes and kissed her cheek. Hinata hugged him and kissed the top of his head. Had he always been this small? His shape seemed to fit perfectly in her arms. They disengaged and looked at one another. Naruto with his blue eyes like the sky, hers like mirrors of the moon. Hinata suddenly felt that something had changed in their relationship. He didn't seem like some anonymous entity anymore, he just seemed like Naruto, her friend.

"Goodnight, Hinata," he said, turning to leave.

"Goodnight, Naruto," she said.

She watched him walk into the distance and disappear. A stray thought came then:

She owed him her life. It was only right to repay her debt. That, and she was getting closer to the truth about who he was. If she managed to find out more while protecting him, then it would be a win-win situation.

"Game on," she thought and went inside.

* * *

Naruto sagged as he entered his apartment. Today had been an emotional roller-coaster for everyone involved. Him included. Once again, he was tempted to leave it all behind. He could go away. He could be troubled no more with these human affairs. Once again, he realized that it was only through these affairs that he remained sane.

He shook off his clothes and trudged towards his bed. As he did, the world began to shift. Silver moonlight was suddenly bathed in red, casting a spotlight onto his bed. Something moved behind him. He turned to greet her.

She was dressed in white, with a veil obscuring her face; red hair spilled forth from it and ran down her front. Her stomach was bloated and pregnant, as pale as a boiled egg, and there was a gaping hole in it, blood oozing from it like a pierced yoke. It was obvious that something had been removed from it.

"Mommy," he said, arms outstretched. She lifted him into her arms and cradled him.

"Go to sleep, little spider," she said, her voice as delicate as dew on a moonlit flower. She began to hum a tune that she had heard in her childhood. Naruto's head dipped into his chest. Eyes began to droop into unconsciousness. The woman continued to hum as tears spilled from under her veil. It wasn't fair. How could fate be so cruel? The time she had spent with her baby had been cut too soon. She had only held him for a few moments before her life had faded away, and yet, she had loved him more than she had ever loved anyone before. Sometimes, she wondered about asking him to end this dream. To live his life without her. But she could never ask. It would mean saying goodbye to her baby. She wasn't ready, she never would be.

* * *

 **Author's note: Please rate and review! I FEED ON REVIEWS! Constructive criticism only.**


	5. Chapter 5

Summary: Naruto is conceived on the night of a blood moon. Minato and Kushina couldn't be happier. Then the Kyuubi attacks Konoha.

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

* * *

Hinata had always thought about her first kill. She supposed that all Genin wondered about it at some point or another. She wasn't scared though; she had had her first experience with death when she was captured so many years ago. She knew her Juken could shut down kidneys, destroy livers, collapse lungs, and even make a man's heart explode. She knew about leverage, and pressure points, and where all the vital organs were. She knew more about how to destroy a human being than she cared to know. But the thought that she would one day kill someone had always been distant thunder. Now it was right in her face, and she wasn't sure she could do it.

Team 8 had been dispatched to deal with a bandit camp that was threatening a nearby village. It was nighttime with the crescent moon reaching its zenith in the sky. They were each in the trees surrounding the bandit camp, just east of the village that had hired them. Kurenai was north of the bandit camp, Hinata was east, Kiba had been assigned to the west and Naruto took the south side. They were all wearing shortwave transmitters in their ears, save for Naruto who needed none.

"Okay, is everyone in position?" Kurenai whispered through the radio.

"Hinata reporting, ready."

"Kiba here, let's do this."

"I am ready," Naruto said, his voice a mere whisper among their thoughts.

Kurenai was nervous. She had put off getting their first kills for a while now. She was new to being a sensei and the last thing she wanted was to push them too far too soon, but there was no way around it. They would have to kill one day and it was better to strip the bandage off quickly. She just prayed that it wasn't too soon.

"Okay. Be ready to fire on my signal."

One of the advantages to having a seal master on their team was that if they needed something that made a very big boom, they could just ask. Naruto had rigged several kunai with over a dozen explosive tags. The plan was simple: they would each throw their explosive kunai in a clockwise pattern beginning with Kurenai. This would kill most of the bandits and scatter any remaining. Then Team 8 would finish them up-close.

"3….2….1!"

The first kunai was thrown and exploded in the middle of the bandit camp, sending dirt and charred bodies flying into the air. Hinata was next and her kunai landed inside one of the bandit's tents. The explosion rocketed it into the air as a fireball. It landed on another tent and the licking flames instantly spread. People screamed, some burning alive, and carried the fire to other parts of the camp.

"Kurenai-sensei, maybe that's enough," Kiba said, his hand caught in mid-flight.

"Negative, Kiba. Proceed," Kurenai said coolly.

"But sensei—,"

"Now Kiba!"

Kiba threw his kunai. It joined the blaze. Its explosion was drowned out by the screaming.

Naruto's went last and without a word. By now the fire had spread to every tent, turning the whole clearing into a giant bonfire. The people inside were screaming. Some ran out of the fire, their bodies turned to plumes of smoke that crumpled into glowing piles of burnt flesh.

"Team 8 converge. We can't let any of them escape!" Kurenai said, her voice veiled behind a wall of static.

Only 20 or so of the original 100 bandits were left. They all took to the surrounding forests trying to escape the fire. Hinata found 3 of them, all dark brown and carrying axes and picks. She could see them as clear as daylight despite the canopy blocking the moonlight from above. For once she was thankful that the Byakugan blocked any physical features from view. She just saw shadows behind glowing veins of light.

"Just shadows," she thought, "they're just shadows." They came at her with their weapons. She killed them.

Kiba didn't have such an easy time. His clan's Taijutsu and Ninjutsu involved shredding their opponents to pieces with their claws. He couldn't see his attackers either. Their backs were to the fire and its glow hid faces.

"You ready, Akamaru?"

Akamaru barked his affirmation.

Kiba and his dog rushed towards them. Claws found bellies and fangs found throats. Kiba would remember the sound of flesh tearing and the taste of blood in his mouth until the day he died.

Naruto stood in a perfect circle of corpses. His long white shirt was soaked in blood. Here the canopy was thin and the moon could be seen through the leaves. He turned to look at it for a moment then began the walk towards the burning camp.

Kiba and Hinata were already in front of Kurenai when he had arrived. Hinata eyes were still surrounded by bulging veins. Kiba was hunched over, his shoulders hanging over his stomach. Kurenai herself was spotless, although she was straining to keep a straight face.

She was the first one to notice him. Her face drained of color. Hinata saw her sensei's shock and turned. She screamed.

* * *

Later…

Team 8 were seated around a small fire. There were two tents set up nearby. They were all silent. Kiba and Hinata sat beside each other. Naruto was in Kiba's lap. All faces were staring into the fire.

Kurenai sat across from them and racked her mind for something to say. She had thought it would have been an easy thing. A few thrown Kunai, some fighting maybe, but nothing could have prepared her team for what they had seen that night. If things had went as planned then she would have given them a prepared speech she'd saved for that night. She couldn't say it now. It wouldn't help.

"I'm sorry," Kurenai said, letting her head drop, "I shouldn't have pushed you. But I wanted you to know what you were getting into."

Hinata and Kiba looked up at her.

"This is the reality about being a shinobi. To be a shinobi means to kill for a living. It's not an honest living, it's not even a good one, but there is one thing you have to remember. When you kill, it isn't to destroy something or someone. Being a shinobi means that you kill to protect the village. You kill to protect your family, your friends, and the people you love. Do you understand?"

They nodded, if a bit slowly.

Kurenai sighed. Here was the clinch: "Give it some time. If you feel that you can no longer take part in being a shinobi, then you can resign when we get back to Konoha. No one would call you a coward if you do."

Kiba wondered if he could go on being a ninja. He could still feel the flesh coming off in his hands. He had always thought that killing someone was a choice, something he could avoid if he became strong enough; but it seemed that life, ever the prankster, gave him no choice.

Hinata ruminated on the idea. The attack hadn't been as bad for her as it had been for Kiba. True, she had just seen a little more than 150 men burn alive, but she hadn't torn men apart with her claws. The Juken was a clean art. It left no marks and caused no bloodshed. She had just poked them and they had died. The realization that she could kill a man with a single touch was as exciting as it was scary.

Naruto remained silent. This mission had been a test for his teammates. He began to hum the lullaby his mother used to sing him to sleep. He didn't remember if it had any words, but the melody would help them sleep, and dream.

Team 8 and their sensei were struck with wonder when they heard Naruto, with his voice like autumn wind, begin to hum a tun. It was tiny and fragile and simple. It sounded like something that would be played on a music box. Something that would be played for a baby. It soothed them, assuaged any thoughts on what they had done that night; it made them sleepy.

It reminded Kiba of the songs his mother had sung to him as child; she had a terrific singing voice, although he hadn't heard her sing in many years.

Hinata remembered her mother, the few memories that there were. She had died even before the night Hinata had been kidnapped, and of all the things she could remember, the song reminded most of her mother's smell. She could smell her mother now; a thin layer of lavender over the musk only mothers had.

They were all very tired now. The song had helped to alleviate some of the tension, and weariness had come in its place. It was a welcome relief that almost floored them, like the tensed muscle relaxing under a warm massage.

They went to bed without a word; Kiba and Naruto filing into one tent, and the girls into the other.

Kurenai thought back to the moment when she saw Naruto approaching. She had been looking over the other two, making sure they were okay, when Naruto had come into view. Her heart had almost stopped beating. He was covered in blood. His shirt was soaked and hung heavy with it. His face and hair were covered in it. She could only see his eyes. They were a dull blue color like the surface of a very deep lake. Hinata had seen her reaction and turned. That had been the first time she had ever heard her scream. Though it wasn't out of fear of him, but rather fear for him. Hinata had thought he was grievously injured.

A single thought bulldozed its way into the forefront of Kurenai's drifting mind. He had killed before. And that thought, by extension, gave her another clue to his mystery: someone had taught him how to kill.

Then she fell asleep

* * *

The trip home was done so in silence. Kurenai hadn't said anything else to her team since the night before. As much as she wanted this team to work, she couldn't force them into a choice they weren't ready to make. She had already done that once before and it could prove to be the choice that destroyed Team 8.

They were well into their second day's travel when a raven with a scroll attached to its leg came flying towards Kurenai. She took the message from the raven's leg, unfurled the scroll then read it aloud:

"Team 7 in mortal danger. In need of immediate assistance in Wave Village. Enemy shinobi confirmed."

She left the message hanging in the air, allowing her team to mull over it.

"So what are we gonna do, Sensei?" Kiba asked, frowning.

"I don't know, Kiba, I don't know if you even want to be a shinobi anymore."

Kiba bit his lip. Hinata said nothing, although she wanted to point out that Kurenai didn't need to say the question to force a decision.

The gist of the situation was this: they could either give up being shinobi and go home, or they could accept the burden and help their fellow Konoha ninja. Hinata knew her answer but didn't say. She didn't want to pressure Kiba into it.

It all rested on Kiba. He had been the one most affected by the attack. Naruto had spent the nights sitting on his lap, letting the Inuzuka hold him like a lucky charm. It was Naruto's way of comforting him, though it didn't change the fact that no team was allowed on active duty with only 3 members; they needed Kiba, and Kiba needed to make his own decisions.

Kiba was silent for a few moments then grinned bravely. "Let's go."

Kurenai smiled. Team 8 would not be broken.

"Okay, move out!"

They leapt away turning into shadows in the over-arching canopy.

Kurenai's thoughts turned once again to the strange blond. She had been worried that she was turning her search for answers into a bit of an obsession but that night had changed her mind. The more she thought about it, the more questions popped into her head. It was clear that he had been trained, the amount of blood she saw on his clothes attested to that fact. Who had trained him? And why? The Hokage must have known and refused to tell her. Why? Who was he protecting?

And then there was the boy himself. He was kind and courteous and a skilled ninja despite his size. She had never seen a Genin as fast as him. Yet he had been an average student in the Academy. He couldn't be older than 13. Was the Hokage ordering child soldiers now? No. That practice had been abolished after the Third Shinobi War. Naruto had attained his skills from someone else. And the Hokage allowed it.

Kurenai frowned. She had given herself a mild headache. She spared a glance at her subordinate. Another puzzle piece had fallen into her lap and she had no idea how it fit into the larger mosaic of who Naruto was. But two things were clear: Naruto had something to hide, and someone besides the Hokage knew about it.

Hinata's own thoughts had come to a similar conclusion. She had not been working as hard since she had found out about Naruto's involvement in her kidnapping, but she still noticed things. The most prominent of which was that Naruto had killed before. She had seen him after the battle and the sight of him covered in blood had almost made her heart stop. Yet he remained wholly unaffected by the experience. He had just looked at her with that same adorable stare as she began wiping the blood from his face. It had taken several hours of rough scrubbing before she could get all the blood off, and another hour to get it out of his hair. She had thought it was shock and that it would wear off in a few hours; she had even prepared for a crying fit, but he had comforted Kiba instead. He had even hummed the tune that had put them to sleep that night.

Hinata Hyuga thought that Naruto was a mosaic but he seemed more like a spiral, ever boring down in perpetual motion that grew darker the deeper it went. Though this didn't repel her, on the contrary, it only intrigued her. One of the reasons she liked Naruto was the fact that he kept her on her toes. He was a constant source of mystery that, as her life propelled forward, allowed her to focus on something beyond herself. She knew she would never find out about all his secrets. No one could. But she just wanted to know the big ones. Who was Naruto? And what was he hiding?

* * *

Mitarashi Anko was waking up in another country. It had been 2 months since she had last seen Naruto. She awoke every morning with a fresh vial of tainted blood on her doorstep. She had come to the conclusion that he wanted nothing to do with her anymore. She couldn't blame him. She had sworn off drinking and sex until she could get her head right yet she still killed a bottle every night to soothe her sorrows. She had found that Naruto's blood went well when chased with sake.

She awoke with a hangover. It was morning, and a monkey pounded cymbals in her head as she trudged through a floor littered with empty bottles and orange pill containers. She found that painkillers helped to numb herself. She switched on her bathroom light and reached into the cabinet for some aspirin. She swallowed two without water. The bitter taste helped cut through the dull ache in her skull.

Anko spotted herself in the mirror as she closed her cabinet. It was amazing what 2 months could do to someone. Her skin had curdled to a light grey color, her eyes were puffy and red at the edges, and her mouth was now set in a perpetual grimace. She looked like one of the starving children in a black and white photograph.

She allowed herself to wonder what it would have been like if they had met years before. If she had been a younger and less bitter woman when she first met him. She wouldn't have thrown a knife at him. But it wasn't meant to be so. She _had_ thrown a knife at him, she _had_ been an older and bitterer woman, and she _had_ chosen to forsake him.

It was her heart, she decided. It had been broken and had not healed properly, like a bone that wasn't set after a bad break. Now it was gnarled and grotesque like the roots of a very old tree. It was cold and it ached, but it did not feel. No. That part of herself had been stolen. And, as in her youth, she found that the only way forward was to swear revenge on the person who had stolen it.

She saw her face begin to change. It elongated. Her cheeks grew gaunt and her skin bleached to a solid white. Once purple hair darkened and draped over her forehead. Her eyes became ugly yellow like lightbulbs that had gathered dust. Soon, she was looking at her sensei. She smashed the mirror and picked broken glass from her knuckle.

"One day, Orichimaru, I'll find you and I'll KILL YOU!" she said, hoping he heard her. But that was for another time. It was time to go to work, and to put her pain into someone else.

* * *

Kurenai was about to knock on the front door when it opened far enough for someone to throw a kunai at her head. She ducked and leapt back with her hands crossed, ready to cast a Genjutsu if need be.

"Stand down!" she said. Team 8 gathered behind her, hands poised to strike.

A head peaked out through a crack in the doorway.

"Who's there?"

"Kurenai Yuhi from Konoha. Are you Team 7?" Kurenai demanded.

The door opened to reveal a thin girl with shoulder length pink hair. She was wearing a red dress and spandex shorts. She used her Konoha headband to tie her hair off. There was a bandage around her left hand. She clutched a kunai in her right.

"Yes. Thank god. Did you come to help?"

"Yes," she said, motioning to her team, "We're Team 8. This is Inuzuka Kiba, Hyuga Hinata and Uzumaki—"

"Naruto!" The girl exclaimed. She ran towards him and swung him up into her arms like a child. "It's so good to see you again!"

Team 8 watched with concerned interest as their blond began to turn blue.

"Haruno, please don't kill Naruto before we can help you." Hinata said, prying him from her arms.

Sakura blushed sensibly then coughed into her hand. "Sorry."

Kurenai sighed at their antics. "Where is Kakashi?"

"Oh. Sensei is still asleep. He used all his chakra fighting Zabuza."

"WHAT!?"

Kurenai's yell seemed to silence all life in the immediate area.

"Who's that, Sensei?" Kiba asked.

"He's an A-rank nuke ninja from Kirigakure."

The word "A-rank" knocked the wind from Kiba's lungs. A-rank ninja were found on A and S-rank missions. What the hell was one doing in a C-rank?

Hinata hid her surprise well but made a quick scan of the area with her Byakugan, just to be safe.

Naruto cocked his head to one side. This would be interesting.

"What's the situation?" Kurenai asked.

Sakura looked flustered for a moment then let her training kicked in.

"Jonin Kakashi is incapacitated. Uchiha Sasuke sustained a broken rib while Aburame Shino reports that almost half of his hive has been killed. Encounter with A-rank ninja Momochi Zabuza ended with his death at the hands of a Kirigakure Hunter-nin."

Kurenai nodded. "Very good, Sakura. Can you take me to Kakashi? I want to see if there is anything I can do."

"Okay," Sakura said, opening the door to let them in.

"Secure the perimeter, 50 meters" Kurenai said over her shoulder.

Team 8 nodded and disappeared.

Securing a perimeter was one of the things that Team 8 had practiced until they could do it in their sleep. They would setup a circle with a 50 meters radius around the house. Then they would walk the perimeter in 2 hour shifts. Being a tracking team meant that they had certain advantages. Kiba's nose and hearing, Hinata's Byakugan and Naruto's Kage Bushin (Shadow clones) meant they each could take single shifts without worrying about being ambushed.

It was Naruto's turn to walk perimeter when Kurenai came downstairs. Sasuke and Kakashi were resting in an upstairs bedroom. Shino and Sakura were seated in a couch close to the rice-paper door. There was a dining room table in the middle of the room with a small kitchen to her left. A woman with brown hair stood watching a pot of steaming rice. The old drunk who had hired Team 7 under false pretenses was sleeping one off in his chair. Kiba was leaning against the door frame. Hinata had taken a seat at the table.

"Okay, Kakashi is resting. He used up almost his chakra to defeat Zabuza. He'll be awake in two days."

"Thank goodness," Sakura said, sighing.

Kurenai turned to the two remaining members of her team.

"Where's Naruto?" she asked.

"Out on patrol."

Naruto came inside just as Kiba was saying that. "Speak of the Devil," Kurenai thought.

"I'm done with my shift," he said.

"I'll take the next one," Kiba said. Akamaru barked in agreement and they went outside.

"Sensei, may I have some leave?" Naruto asked, looking at her.

Kurenai was about to deny his request then thought better of it. If she could catch him before he came back, then she would be able to get some information out of him. Though it would leave Team 8 one man short in case of an attack. She balanced the risk of an attack versus gaining information about Naruto.

"Okay. But be back by midnight for your shift."

Naruto nodded and left, sliding the door shut behind him.

* * *

The island was a tiny thing, a little more than 50 paces in either direction. It was a small, black rock in the middle of the lake, something that no one would give a second thought about. It was slick and covered green moss; moonlight shone dully from its surface. Naruto looked around. The lake was quiet save for the frogs croaking. Two moons rose on opposite ends of the sky. Naruto began to walk into the pitch-black water. He would have fallen straight in if it weren't for a series of steps that lead under the surface of the lake. He walked until his head disappeared under the water.

Naruto's head emerged on the other side of the lake. He was in the ruins of a small village covered in fog. Ship masts grew in the distance like the tops of very old trees. Here the moon above his head rippled while the moon beneath his feet remained solid. A cave yawned in the distance. He walked inside. There was algae growing on the walls of the cave. They glowed in the darkness.

The back of the cave gave way to an open tunnel that lead him on a small upward climb. It widened in a pear-shape with the exit closing the neck of the cave. There were the corpses of strange creatures here. They had human bodies until the waist but ended with tails like that of tadpoles. They were all a sickly white and shined with slickness in the glow of the algae. Each had their hands together as if they had died in prayer. Naruto ascended until the cave's exit and went outside.

Here the land descended again, flattening out into a rocky beach. There was a giant corpse near the water. It was long and wide and flat. It shined white in the moonlight. It had human arms. Tiny spines grew out of its back. It looked like a beached whale with a tail at the end. Naruto walked to the other side of the creature and gently lifted the tentacles there. She had a human face.

"Mommy," Naruto said, knowing she could hear him. Then he began to cry in huge, sobbing fits. It was the crying of a child that had lost his mother.

* * *

Author's note: Please FEED ME REVIEWS! Constructive criticism only.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

Naruto had a moment of silence before he left. He closed his eyes and let his consciousness stretch down into the bottomless sea until he could hear the soft breaths of a sleeping infant.

"Goodnight, little brother," he said.

* * *

It was by mere chance that he saw it. He had been walking back towards the surface when he saw something twinkle from inside a small stone well in the ruined village. He peered down into the dark. Something was definitely down there. He descended the small ladder in the well. The well expanded into a cavern at the bottom. The roof and walls of the cavern were covered in glowing algae.

Naruto picked it up. It was a saber with a knife attached to the pommel. It was covered with grime but the blade still reflected the glow from the algae. He tried to pull the knife from its base and almost fell over when it snapped off from the blade. There were tiny rings jutting from the bottom of the saber. He reversed his grip on the knife and thrust the two bases together. They snapped together with a mechanical click.

Naruto held it up to the light. There was a name carved into the side of the blade.

"Rakuyo," he read aloud.

* * *

The man's scream was drowned by the sound of his arm snapping like a dried twig under a horse's hoof. His two guards came forward to defend him against his attacker but stopped when he held up his other hand. He was a short, fat man. He wore a grey suit and small, dark glasses with a thin mustache like whiskers on his face. Frizzy grey hair stood on end from his balding pate. They were in a small cave lit by lanterns.

"You're gonna regret that you little bitch!" he growled, holding his right arm in his left hand.

"The only thing I'll regret is that I didn't kill you while Zabuza-sama was unconscious." The girl said. She was the antithesis of the man. Her skin was porcelain white against her black hair. She was wearing a green kimono with a floral pattern on the back. She towered over him by nearly a head.

Two needles appeared in her hand. "Tell your men to back off before I kill them."

Gato bit back a retort. He knew she could as easily kill him as listen to him and he didn't want to antagonize her more than he already had.

"Just remember our deal! Get rid of those fucking ninja!" He said, then left the cave with his henchmen.

"You didn't need to do that," the man behind her said. He was lying down with bandages over his neck and jaw. His skin was the same ugly grey as Gato's suit. Short black hair grew wild on his head. "I could handle him."

"You should be resting, Zabuza-sama," the girl said, leaning down to inspect his bandages. "I can handle the trash. You shouldn't concern yourself with such matters."

"Whatever," Zabuza said. He closed his eyes and fell asleep again.

The girl waited until his breathing evened out then went back to grinding the paste in her mortar. Only 5 more days.

* * *

Naruto had just done one full circle when Kurenai appeared from under one of the eaves of Tazuna's house. Her arms were folded on her chest.

"So where did you go?" she said, walking towards him.

Naruto smiled. "I went scouting for the enemy camp. Gato has taken refuge inside a large building near the docks. He has guards at every major entrance and they rotate shift every four hours. I don't know if we can get in there without them noticing."

Kurenai nodded. It was good that he had taken the intuitive.

"It would have been nice if you had informed me of your plan, Naruto."

The blond scratched the back of his head. "I actually did it by accident. I was looking through the village when I spotted two thugs. I followed them to the building then it took the last 4 hours to learn their schedule."

Naruto cocked his head thoughtfully. "Though I am hungry."

Kurenai almost laughed. She sometimes forgot that he was still a little boy.

Naruto got up and walked past her. "I'm still on my shift."

Kurenai grabbed his elbow and squeezed until it was almost painful.

"Not so fast, Naruto." She said, bringing her face close to his.

"What is wrong, Kurenai-sensei?"

His tone infuriated her. How dare he take her for a fool?

"Now listen, Genin, I know you're hiding something. I know the Hokage is hiding it too. What I don't know is what that has to do with Anko. What did you do to her?" Kurenai hissed.

Naruto's eyes went dark blue. "I didn't do anything to her."

"Don't lie to—"

"Naruto, is that you?" Hinata said, sliding the front door open. She was dressed in a long, white shirt that stretched down past her knees. There was a cute bunny on the front. "You're late."

Kurenai subtly let go of the blond's arm. "Yes, it's late, you should get some sleep."

Hinata strode forward and took Naruto's hand. "Time to go to bed."

He didn't resist as she lead him upstairs.

Kurenai rubbed her temples. What had she been thinking? He would be harder to catch now. It was just so frustrating. A 13 year old Genin was outsmarting her at every turn. What was so dangerous that the Hokage had lied to protect him? What wasn't she supposed to know? It was driving her crazy!

* * *

Team 7 and 8 were gathered around a small lake near Tazuna's house. It was bright outside and the water reflected the cloudless sky.

"Okay," Kurenai commanded, "I will be taking over Team 7's training while Kakashi is unconscious. Now I don't know the extent of your training but I'll assume that Kakashi has taught you tree-walking?"

Sakura raised her hand.

"Umm Kurenai-sensei? Kakashi-sensei hasn't really taught us anything besides teamwork."

Kurenai was shocked. Kakashi was supposed to be one of Konoha's top shinobi. How the hell did they get a C-rank without any training? The thought nearly gave her a migraine.

"So what _has_ he taught you?"

Shino stepped forward. "He has taught us nothing beside some rudimentary teamwork exercises."

Kurenai grit her teeth. "Come with me,"

"Continue with your water-walking," She said over her shoulder as she led Team 7 away.

Kiba got into a starting position. He leaned back once, twice, three times, then bolted. His feet met the surface of the lake and skidded like a skipping stone. He repeated this motion four more times before he lost his balance and fell into the water. He resurfaced a moment later, spluttering and swearing.

"Goddam this water is cold!"

Hinata did her best not to giggle as he dragged himself ashore.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," he said, good-naturedly, "So when are you two gonna start training?"

"Right now," Hinata said, taking Naruto's hand and leading him to the water. Their footsteps didn't stop as they came to the water, though instead of skidding like Kiba had, they only made small ripples with their footfalls. They stopped in the middle of the lake. Hinata's arm slunk around Naruto's waist, and she clasped his right hand with her left. Naruto's left hand rested on her shoulder.

"I'll lead," Hinata said.

"And I'll always follow," Naruto replied. He did a mental happy dance when he saw Hinata's cheeks dust with color.

Hinata cleared her throat then began to waltz, taking Naruto with her. Naruto let her lead. One big step forward, two small steps then back to one big step then two small steps. Rotate and repeat. Hinata led well, making sure to compensate for Naruto's short legs and Naruto paid mind not to step on her toes. Soon the dancing became automatic. It was no longer a series of steps and numbers but rather a dance of pure muscle memory. When Hinata pulled, Naruto pushed. When Naruto turned, she followed him. Their movements became faster. The two dancers were soon blurring figures over the water, unknowing and uncaring of the world playing audience. Then they slowed to a stop. Naruto looked up and Hinata looked down. They had been staring at one another since they began. The two separated, each slightly out of breath.

"Wow," Kiba said, halfway into the lake. He had been mesmerized by their dance. "Any chance I'll get to do that?"

"Yes, you can dance with me anytime," Naruto said.

Kiba was so surprised that he fell into the lake.

Hinata giggled.

* * *

Naruto and Hinata, along with Team 7 and Tazuna's family, were gathered around the dining room table. The meal was simple, but plentiful. They were eating a relative silence only because they had nothing to talk about. Naruto had met Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, before. She was a kindly young woman in her late twenties with brown hair and eyes. Plain but pretty. He didn't know the boy sitting beside though. Whoever he was, he had been crying.

Kiba opened the front door and entered. He was completely soaked with water and sweat. He had stayed out late to train. It had been worth it; he could walk on the water without skidding now.

"Kiba, we would appreciate it if you didn't come in soaking wet. You're dirtying Tsunami's floors." Hinata said, not turning from her meal.

Kiba, despite being exhausted, managed to look sheepish.

"Go upstairs and take a bath," Naruto said gently. It was the way you would speak to a small child. "then come downstairs for dinner."

"Okay, Naruto."

Kiba trudged upstairs, his feet making clomping noises on the wooden stairs.

This seemed to anger the child, as if Kiba's effort had been an affront to everything he knew.

"Why are you trying so hard?" he said almost too quietly to hear.

"Inari please," Tsunami began.

"Gato is just going to kill you!" Inari cried. He rose from the table so quickly that his chair was pushed onto the floor. "Gato is just going to come in and kill you all!

"You guys train and say you'll protect us from Gato but that's all shit. You're all just a bunch of spoiled brats who think they can beat anyone." He raised an accusing finger. "I bet when we die you'll all go home to your wonderful families and your expensive presents! You don't know anything about us! You probably got more money than you can do with while my family has to live on scraps! You don't know anything about real life! You don't know anything about suffering!"

Hinata was at his throat before Naruto could stop her. She had him pinned against the wall with her hand around his neck.

"I don't know what suffering is?" she said icily, her eyes bulging. "I don't know what suffering is? Don't make me laugh. You want to know what I've been through? Imagine being born into a family with no love; imagine waking up every day and doing the same thing over and over again; imagine going through life when you are only allowed to smile when it is necessary. Imagine getting kidnapped at 3 years old and being told that you'll be breeding fodder for another village; that your life is worth how many babies you can push out," she drew the child towards her, "Then you tell me I don't know suffering? That I don't know pain? You're just some spoiled brat that cries instead of doing something. Your grandfather is doing all he can to build that bridge and help everyone but you don't care! You just care that you're hurting instead of anyone else!"

She was shouting towards the end of her tirade. Inari looked shocked and more than a little scared. Hinata had hit every sore point of his fragile ego and relished the look on his face as it crumbled. Inari tore from her grip and ran upstairs.

"Little shit," Hinata muttered, and turned back to finish her meal.

Pin. Drop. Silence.

"What are you looking at?" she demanded, meeting everyone's gaze. They all looked away except for Naruto who took her hand and led her outside.

He took her back to lake. It was still as a mirror, the tops of the trees surrounding it barely penetrated its reflection.

Hinata ripped her hand from Naruto's grasp. "Why did you bring me here?"

Naruto took her hand again and dragged her into the lake. Their feet made tiny ripples upon the water. When they reached the middle of the lake, just below the moon's reflection, Naruto turned and changed the grip on her hand, interlocking their fingers and bringing their arms up. His left hand grabbed her right arm, brought it around his waist and rested itself on her shoulder.

"Shall we dance?"

Hinata felt her shoulders sag in relief. What power did he have over her, she wondered, to be able to put her at ease so quickly? She smiled and it trembled.

"I was a bit harsh on him, wasn't I?"

Naruto shook his head. "It was nothing he didn't need to hear. But forget about that. Dance with me, Hinata."

They danced into the night.

* * *

No one saw Inari until the following morning when he approached team 8 as they were training.

"What does the brat want?" Kiba asked, slowly going through the movements of his clan's Taijutsu on the lake. He had taken to practicing on the water whenever he could, though he still made a little splash whenever he took a step and fell in if he lost concentration.

"I don't know." Hinata answered.

Naruto snorted.

"What?"

"He looks as if he's about to apologize."

Hinata snorted this time.

"As if."

Inari stood at the side of the lake, head down, shoulders squared as if he was about to fight someone. Hinata approached him.

"What do you want?"

Inari's shoulders trembled for a moment then squared resolutely.

"I'm sorry."

Hinata cocked her head to one side. "What did you say?"

"I said I'm sorry." He said, a little bit louder than before.

"Huh?"

"I said I'm sorry, alright?!" he shouted.

"Shouting at me is a funny way to apologize."

Inari stood gaping, his mouth trying to form words he didn't have.

"Enough, Hinata," Naruto said from behind her.

"Okay, fine," she said, "I'm sorry I yelled at you, brat." She waved her hand dismissively then began walking back into the lake.

"Hey, wait! Train me!"

Hinata turned mid-step.

"What?"

"You said I don't do anything to help. So teach me!"

Hinata had hoped she had misheard him. She knew she had hoped in vain when she saw his face. His mouth was set in a grimace, both cheeks flush with color, but it was his eyes that told her everything she needed to know. He had the eyes of someone ready to fight.

Hinata sighed. It was sadly impossible. They were only here until the bridge was built. That would take a week at most. And even if she could squeeze 8 hours of training out of him every day, she didn't know any style to teach him. Her Taijutsu wouldn't work without the Byakugan and he couldn't learn to use chakra in a week. The most she could do was teach him how to throw kunai.

Hinata was about to gently reject his request when she felt Naruto tap her shoulder.

"Let me train him."

"But what could you teach him in a week?" Hinata asked.

Naruto smiled at her. "Enough."

* * *

Naruto and Inari stood to one side.

"So what are you going to teach me?" Inari asked.

Naruto took the jar of ink from his scroll again and held up his brush.

"What, you want to paint something on me?"

Naruto nodded.

"Okay, whatever."

The blond quickly drew his seal, a star with an eye inside it, on the boy's hand.

"Hello, Inari," he said.

Inari thought Naruto sounded like a boy who had never had to raise his voice before. Then he realized that Naruto hadn't opened his mouth.

"Wait, are you inside my head?"

"Not exactly."

Naruto reached around his back and pulled out a curious weapon. It was a sword as long as his arm with the middle missing and curved tip. He handed it, hilt first, to Inari. The boy took it and tested the weight. It was light, almost to the point that if he closed his eyes he would barely notice it. He held it up to the light. The blade was segmented down the middle.

"Those are the Blades of Mercy."

"Why are is it called that?" Inari asked, mesmerized by their silver sheen.

Naruto smiled then said: "Pull them apart."

"Pull what apart?"

"See the hilt? It's segmented. You can pull them apart."

Inari did and the blades separated into two daggers, each curving inward at the tip.

"Whoa."

Naruto moved slowly, kunai in either hand, letting Inari clumsily mimic his actions. They had been practicing for an hour now and Inari's shirt was soaked with sweat. It was easy to see that he had never done something as intense before. Naruto stopped and went to sit under the shade of a nearby tree.

"Keep going, don't think about it, just let your muscles move you," he said, making himself comfortable against the bark. Inari followed his command. He slipped into an automatic series of moves comprising of quick slashes and stabs. The strength of the Blades of Mercy was that they were so light that even a child like Inari could wield them with comparative ease. They were made for someone with a certain speed and grace that anyone taller than Naruto could not achieve without years of training. They were weapons that grew with you, that would carry you your entire life. They had been his mother's. But now someone needed them more than he did. He knew she would approve.

Inari continued for another hour before he collapsed. Naruto had been silently contemplating how to breach this topic of conversation as carefully as he could, but he could tell that it would end up about the same way no matter how he said it.

"Your mother told me about Kaiza."

Inari's prone body stiffened at the mention of the man's name. He slowly rose from the ground.

"You don't know anything," he said harshly.

"I know you loved him. I know he was your hero. And I know that Gato publically executed—"

"You don't know anything!" Inari shouted, the blades shaking in his grip. "You weren't there! You didn't see what they did to him first!" Here the tears began to shine in Inari's eyes, though they weren't falling yet. His shoulders were shaking.

"I know they cut his arms off before they slit his throat."

Inari was too shocked to reply. That had been the most horrifying moment of his life. It was something his mind couldn't handle at the time. It had been the moment that reality and what he assumed was reality had collided and died violent deaths. It was not possible, it couldn't be happening, yet it was happening anyway.

It had not been quick. The actual execution lasted almost half an hour. They had taken their time, cutting each arm off with a hacksaw. No man, no matter how brave, could stop from screaming. Flesh had been sheared and torn and bones splintered under the dull blades. Kaiza had screamed, then gibbered, then moaned, then finally, thankfully, fainted. They had brought him back with smelling salts then began on the other arm. He had been beyond screaming at that point but that didn't stop him from frothing at the mouth. Then the crowd smelled the acrid stench of urine and feces. Kaiza, their once proud and strong leader, had soiled himself before he died.

Utter defeat. That was the only way to describe that moment. They hadn't just killed him, they had stolen his dignity. No one remembered Kaiza saving the bridge or rescuing a little girl from a raging river. They only remembered a pathetic shadow of a man, stinking of shit and piss and blood. It seemed to Inari that life had just finished playing its final cruel joke. A man who had inspired hope and faith in his life was remembered only as a victim.

The ultimate humiliation was when they tried to bury the remains. They couldn't get him into the box. No one had wanted to touch him. They had used shovels to move his corpse into the hole.

"Would you have preferred they let him live?" Naruto asked, his eyes glowing like chips of ice.

Inari was once again struck silent. Who the hell did this kid think he was?

"What did you say?"

"I asked if you would prefer if they had let him live?"

Inari almost pitched one of the blades at Naruto's head.

"Yes. I loved him. I would have given anything if they let him live."

"Then you didn't love him."

Inari did throw one of the blades at Naruto's head this time. Naruto simply twisted his head to one side and let it sink into the bark of the tree.

"What do you know!? You're just some kid who came to watch my grandpa save this country!"

Naruto let him rant then watched as he blew harsh breaths through flushed cheeks. His chest was heaving with the effort.

"So you would keep him alive? Without his arms?"

"Yes," Inari growled, trying to seem tough despite his tears.

"So you would let him live as a cripple, as a man who would have to rely on others to bathe him and change his clothes and brush his hair and wipe his ass after he took a shit? You would let your hero live the rest of his days as a shadow of his former self?"

Inari's answer caught in his throat. Kaiza had been proud of his hands, they had represented the very essence of his life; the ability to change things, to have control over his own destiny. A Kaiza without hands would have no control over his life. He would be alive, but his spirit, his indomitable will, would be crushed under the reality that he could no longer help people. He would be a living corpse.

"So you think they were right to kill him?" Inari asked, swallowing because his throat felt tight.

Naruto pulled the Blade of Mercy from the tree and held it up to the light. "Do you know what mercy means?"

Inari didn't reply.

"It means to end suffering. Even if the one suffering doesn't want it. These blades," he held it out to Inari, "were used to purge men of their lives before they could destroy what they stood for. Men who were suffering while they lived. Just like you're suffering right now."

Inari took a step back, his face paling. "Are you gonna kill me?"

"No. Kaiza is killing you."

Inari's eye twitched as he took another step back.

"Look at you. You can't even hear his name without flinching."

"Shut up!" Inari shouted.

"It's time, Inari. It's time to give Kaiza his mercy. Let him go."

"Shut up!" Inari yelled. He rushed forward with the other Blade of Mercy. Naruto embraced him. Inari struggled, tried to strike awkwardly with the butt of the blade and kick his shins, he tried twisting this way and that, fighting back tears until his waning strength failed, leaving him shaking and weak. Then he clutched at Naruto and sobbed. It seemed to him that Naruto had grown several inches to accommodate him, but his mind didn't register this. It was still reeling from the release of pent-up emotions. Naruto sat up on his knees and let Inari cry until he exhausted himself and slipped into unconsciousness. Then he carried him home.

* * *

The first thing Naruto noticed about Hatake Kakashi was that he was using crutches to stand. The second thing he noticed was that the man wasn't very tall; it was just his hair. It was silver and stood straight up on his head. Naruto almost laughed at him.

The man was currently standing/leaning near the dining room table. His face was grave. There were bags under his one visible eye even though he had been asleep for days now. His skin was the same color and texture as cold porridge.

"Zabuza is still alive."

A glass slipped from Tsunami's hand and shattered on the ground.

"What did you say, Kakashi?" Kurenai seemed too shocked to yell at the moment.

"Yeah, sensei, we saw that Hunter-Nin kill him. He took Zabuza's body away and everything," Sakura said, her hands shaking as they gripped her dress.

"Yes, but Hunter-Nin must behead their targets on sight then burn the bodies. That's a rule. The Hunter-Nin was probably an accomplice acting in disguise."

Almost everyone began yelling at the top of their lungs.

"WHAT?!"

"HE'S STILL ALIVE?!"

"EXPLAIN YOURSELF, KAKASHI!"

Kakashi seemed to take the outburst with a trained indifference that bordered on apathy. He let them shout until they were out of breath then spoke:

"Are you done?"

The occupants blushed, embarrassed by their outburst. Kurenai cleared her throat.

"Kakashi, are you sure that Zabuza is still alive?"

Kakashi nodded. She seemed to want to burst out again then took a calming breath.

"Then why hasn't he attacked us yet?"

The silver-haired sensei took a seat at the table and sighed in relief. Everyone waited for his response on bated breath.

"I checked Zabuza's vitals before the Hunter-Nin appeared. I thought he was dead at the time. The Hunter-Nin had used senbon (ninja needles) to "kill" him. He must have put Zabuza into a near-death state then brought him back later."

"So there are two enemy shinobi now?"

Kakashi nodded.

"And how strong do you believe Zabuza'z accomplice is?"

"The senbon were thrown at a nerve cluster in the neck. If he had missed his target by more than a few millimeters then he would have really killed Zabuza. So it's someone who knows the human anatomy and is skilled enough to hide from me and then hit his target from a distance. I would guess at least low Jonin level abilities.

"So there are two Jonin level shinobi on Gato's payroll." Kurenai said. Kakashi nodded.

Sakura tried to stop her shaking but couldn't. She remembered the feeling of Zabuza's killing intent, that awe-inspiring aura almost like a physical force weighing her down. She could barely stand in that man's presence. Now she had to fight someone almost as strong as him? Sakura stemmed a physical sob then wrenched her hands together. Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder. She felt his presence like a balm on her soul, soothing her worries. She hugged Naruto to her chest.

"We need to pull out, Kakashi."

Tsunami gasped. Tazuna seemed to grey several shades.

"You can't do that! Gato will kill us!" Inari cried.

"We have two Jonin level shinobi out there with who knows how many bandits as backup. We have two Jonin here and a handful of Genin. We're outnumbered and outgunned. We need to retreat and request backup from Konoha. ANBU should be called in for this." Kurenai said, ignoring the looks of disbelief from the rooms other occupants.

"That wouldn't help, Kurenai. We can't run," Kakashi said, "Not with two injured ninja."

"What are you talking about, Kakashi?"

"Look around, Kurenai. Even if we were fully healed, we wouldn't be able to leave. That Jonin no doubt has been watching you train. He's probably watching the house right now. And he probably has two hundred bandits ready to tear us to shreds. They will attack if we even think about leaving."

"But how? My team has been doing 24 hour perimeter watch for the past two days. They've seen nothing."

"That Hunter-Nin could hide from me, Kurenai. What makes you think that he couldn't fool a bunch of Genin?"

Hinata stepped forward to challenge Kakashi but Naruto stopped her.

"Don't, Hinata. He's right."

Hinata grit her teeth and said nothing.

"And even if he didn't have the bandits, would we even be able? Even you can't defend 3 Genin while running." Kakashi said. Kurenai almost hissed at him.

"So what _can_ we do?"

"That type of attack would leave Zabuza paralyzed for a time. A week at most. So we have that long to prepare our Genin for the fight."

Sakura raised her hand awkwardly. "Umm, sensei, you've been asleep for 3 days."

Kakashi choked on his spit and coughed.

"Yes, that means we have 4 days to get the teams ready to fight a Jonin. Wonderful." Kurenai said sarcastically.

* * *

The next day found Team 8 and 7 near the lake they had been using to train. Kurenai stood in front of them with both hands crossed, visibly upset. Kakashi hung off to the side on his crutches.

"Okay, since we can't leave, I think the only way to move forward is to practice combat. We need to get your combat up to par. Team 8 will face against Team 7 and we'll access your skills."

Naruto noted that Uchiha Sasuke was up on his feet. His broken rib must have healed enough for him to train.

"Hinata, you fight Sasuke. Kiba will go against Shino. And Naruto will face Sakura."

The first two fights ended as Naruto expected. Hinata and Sasuke's spar ended when Sasuke overextended his punch and was shut down by Hinata with a few pokes at his chakra points. Shino and Kiba's fight lasted a full 5 minutes before Kurenai called time. Shino's Taijutsu style was the very antithesis of Kiba's, it relied upon a series of holds and steady blocks used to deflect blows while using their Kikaichu (Parasitic Destruction insects) to sap their opponent's strength. He had either blocked or avoided most of Kiba's blows but couldn't take advantage because he wasn't allowed to use his Kikaichu.

Sakura stood a few meters away from Naruto in a shaky stance. Taijutsu was not her specialty and Naruto had been the best Taijutsu fighter in the Academy. She didn't like her odds.

The rest of the ninja stood off to the side. Kurenai almost shook her head. If what Sakura had told her was true then Kakashi hadn't trained them at all. She had just shown them Tree-walking two days ago, and although Sakura had been the first to master that training, it was clear that she had no actual fighting ability. Kurenai had helped her master a few basic Genjutsu since then but they would be no help in this straight Taijutsu fight.

Sakura tried to steady her breathing and focus to Naruto. She really wanted to give up but she remembered the helplessness she felt in Zabuza's presence. She hated that feeling more than she feared a little pain. She would take control of her own destiny. She was a Kunoichi dammit! Sakura spread her legs and got into a fight stance with both hands raised.

Naruto rushed towards her and jumped into a flying kick that would have knocked Sakura onto her back had it not missed. Sakura had seen it coming like it was in slow motion and stepped to one side to avoid the hit. She brought her left arm around in a hook which Naruto blocked. He punched and she blocked with her forearm like how the Academy training manual had shown her.

Sakura could feel something blooming in her chest as she fought Naruto. It was a sort of rapturous excitement that spread with every blow, coursing down into her limbs after each impact. Their fight grew more intense with Naruto slowly increasing the speed of his attacks and Sakura defending with increased difficulty. Sakura lashed out with a kick and received a blow to her stomach. She skidded backwards for a moment then rushed forward. Naruto was soon on the defense, barely avoiding her blows. Sakura was smiling. Her senses were stretched out as if they were limbs that had never been used properly, flaring to life with hibernated energy. She ducked underneath Naruto's palm thrust and landed a massive hit on his solar plexus that made him stumble. She took a step forward and was caught on the chin by Naruto's upward kick. Both fighters fell onto their backs.

Sakura gasped for ragged breath. She was dirty and tired and her arms ached. She had never felt so alive before! God, this must have been what sex felt like! She suddenly knew that she needed more of that wonderful rushing sensation she felt when she was pushing herself to her very limit. She let the air out of her lungs then forced her body to relax. A shadow loomed over her. It was Naruto. She took his extended hand and rose.

The others had watched the exchange with something of shocked awe. The fight wasn't on par with what Naruto could actually do but Sakura had surprised them. She had been able to keep up with Naruto to a certain extent and with very little energy wasted. Yes, her fighting style was basic, and yes, she was nowhere near as skilled as Kiba or Hinata or Sasuke but it seemed that they had underestimated Sakura's natural talent for Taijutsu.

Then there was Naruto himself. He hadn't just fought Sakura, he had tested her strength, speed, dexterity and reflexes, all in one bout. He had trained her. It became clear to the two sensei that Naruto was stronger than they had ever imagined. To gauge someone else's strength and match them accordingly was the reason why Jonin were allowed to teach. Most _Chunin_ weren't that skilled.

"Alright, Sakura!" Kiba cheered.

She blushed then brushed a strand of her from her face.

"That was a good match, Haruno-san," Shino said, hands in his pockets.

"Shino, I told you to call me Sakura," Sakura teased.

Kurenai clapped her hands to gain their attention. "Alright people, that was good. But we still have a lot to do."

"Hai sensei," Team 7 and 8 said.

* * *

The week passed too quickly for anyone's taste A pall settled over Tazuna's house that seemed to bare an almost physical weight. Inari brooded constantly and took to his training with a determined grimness that reminded Naruto of men who were going to fight and expecting to die. Sakura joined them. Even the thrill of battle couldn't make her smile anymore. Kiba had taken to double-shifts on perimeter watch. Hinata took it better than most because she was use to this sort of grim vigilance. Her face carried the strain that it did when alone at home. Their sensei had long meetings upstairs, little hushed discussions about their odds, strategies and contingency situations. The fact that they didn't share these plans added to the already heavy tension growing among them.

They spent the last day preparing. Kunai were sharpened and packed away, clothes were washed and ready and shuriken were ground until they seemed to cut the light in half. Naruto had polished and sharpened the Rakuyo until it gleamed. He couldn't help the shiver of excitement that crawled up his spine like blue lightning. It would be a good way to test his new blade.

* * *

Team 8 were gathered near the bridge that would save Wave Country. They were each stretching their senses to scout out for any potential dangers but could find none.

"Dammit! If what Kakashi-sensei said was right then the Jonin could be anywhere and I can't get a trace of him, not a single sound or smell out of the ordinary. How about you, Hinata? You see anything?

"No," Hinata said, switching off her Byakugan. There's no one out there from what I can tell."

Naruto didn't need to turn in order to feel the mist creeping up behind them.

"Be careful, that mist isn't natural," he said.

Hinata and Kiba tensed immediately. "What do we do, Boss?"

"We need to send someone back to call for reinforcements. Kiba, can you do it?"

"No. We need to stick together. They would just hunt me down before I could make it back. Plus, I would be leading them back to Tsunami's."

Hinata grit her teeth. He was right. Team 8 was on their own.

Smoke exploded around Naruto to reveal several clones. "I'll send my Kage bushin back while we hold them off." The clones disappeared.

"Okay, how long will it take them to get here?"

"10 minutes," Naruto said.

"So we have to hold on for 10 minutes. Listen to me. We aren't fighting to win, this is all about survival. Nothing flashy. I don't want to go home and tell the people that loved you that you died a hero. Be safe and stay alive!" Hinata whispered.

Naruto and Kiba nodded.

Team 8 turned to face the approaching mist. Hinata activated her Byakugan.

"That mist is laced with chakra. I can't see through it."

"Yeah, it's messin' with my senses too," Kiba said.

Naruto could sense two figures slowly making their way towards them.

"There are two of them. Zabuza and his accomplice I believe."

"Dammit," Hinata cursed.

"How do we play this, Boss?" Kiba asked.

"I don't know. I can't see in that fog and my Taijutsu would be useless against his sword. You're the same too. The only one who can fight Zabuza unimpaired is Naruto and he can't—"

"I will handle Zabuza," Naruto said, his eyes going cold.

"No Naruto, you can't possibly face him on your own and you don't have a weapon."

A small puff of smoke rose from his hand. He swatted it aside to reveal a long saber with a dagger attached to its base. "I have a weapon."

Hinata and Kiba stared at the blade for a moment.

"But you can't beat Zabuza on your own!" Kiba said.

"I don't need to beat him, I just need to distract him. You said it yourself, you wouldn't be any use against him."

Hinata bit back her retort when she realized he was right. He was the only one with a chance to hold Zabuza back. She pulled him close and smelled him, scared that it would be the last time she could do so. "Stay alive," she begged, "no matter what, just stay alive."

Kiba wrapped his arms around the two and hugged them. "Yeah, we're all gonna get out of here."

Someone began to clap in the distance. The mist obscured his appearance.

"Aww, isn't this sweet?" the voice said, echoing through the billowing mist. "Are you gonna kiss?"

Team 8 leapt apart to face their opponents.

"How about you stop hiding in your fog, Zabuza, or are you too scared to face us after Kakashi kicked your ass? Hinata taunted.

Zabuza stepped out of his mist. Tall, heavily muscled and grey as beach sand at night, he towered over them by at least 2 feet. He was dressed in black sleeveless clothes and had a huge sword on his back. The lower half of his face was covered in bandages.

The blade itself was huge as well. Its width shaded the man's back. The blade had a curved tip used to decapitate people. Hinata recognized it from the old pictures in the Academy library. It was the Kubikirihocho, one of the seven swords of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. To her it looked more like it was used to cut people in twine.

"You got a lot of nerve, brat. You'll be the last one to die, I promise you." The air seemed to thicken as he said this, as if he had increased the gravity. Hinata and Kiba felt someone wrap their hands around their throats and squeeze. They could barely breathe. Then, as sudden as it had come, the sensation was gone.

"That's interesting. You got enough killing intent to match me, blondie, so I guess you'll be my first victim." Zabuza said, hefting the Kubikirihocho onto his shoulder. "Let's see if you can use that toothpick."

Naruto rushed towards the man, becoming a blur to his teammates as he sped by.

* * *

"You can come out now," Hinata said, her eyes bulging from their sockets. A second figure appeared from the mist. This one was thinner and smaller than Zabuza. He had his black hair in a bun at the top of his head. His face was covered in a white mask like that of a Hunter-Nin.

"I am impressed. That you could find me so quickly proves your prowess." The figure said, slowly approaching them. "Shall we begin?"

Hinata and Kiba didn't give her a moment to wait before they ran towards her, ready to kill.

* * *

Zabuza struggled against the myriad of blows raining down on him. His blade wasn't made for this close range, it was meant to sweep through several opponents at once but this brat was making sure he didn't have enough space to swing it. It was goddamn annoying! He broke the rain of blows by shunting his sword like a baseball bat, using the width of the blade to protect him as he rammed it forward. Naruto planted both feet on it and pushed off, sending him flying backwards and landing on the hardwood bridge. Zabuza was upon him by the time he had the idea to duck. He leaned backwards and let the blade pass over him. Naruto leapt into the air and brought the Rakuyo down. Zabuza took a step to one side and let the sabre slip effortlessly by. He threw a punch that caught the blond in the jaw, sending him flying. Naruto managed to land on his feet a few meters away. He stumbled for a moment then wiped the blood trickling from his mouth.

"You got balls, kid. But balls ain't enough to kill me!" Zabuza said rushing towards Naruto with the Kubikirihocho raised. Naruto leapt into the air and vaulted over his swing. The Rakuyo came up and caught Zabuza in the left armpit, severing the nerves and sending blood spilling across the bridge. Zabuza grunted as his blade fell from his hand and embedded itself in the bridge.

"Damn, brat!" He said, picking up the Kubikirihocho from where it lay and swiping with it. Naruto leapt back but suffered a massive cut on his left forearm.

"You think you won?!" Zabuza said, lifting the Kubikirihocho onto his shoulders. "You think can't handle my own sword with one hand!?"

Zabuza waded in like a madman, swinging the Kubikirihocho in wide, sweeping arcs that left Naruto no choice but to evade them. Naruto ducked, dived, rolled, vaulted over attacks, letting his training guide him threw the frenzy. But even years of training couldn't help him dodge Zabuza forever, and no amount of training could keep Zabuza from tiring under his constant assault. Slowly but surely they both began to tire under the constant attrition. Naruto began to suffer more cuts and Zabuza's swings began to slow, his arm straining under immense work. Zabuza's blade came down and cut the inside of Naruto's thigh. Blood spurted from the wound and soaked the wood beneath his feet. He fell back, dropping the Rakuyo. Zabuza walked to stand over him. Naruto could see his teeth as he grinned from behind his bandages.

"Sorry, kid, but I'll be dead before I'll let a little bastard like you beat me," Zabuza lifted the Kubikirihocho and buried it in the blond's body, splitting him from his left shoulder until his waist.

Momochi Zabuza waited until he was certain the boy was dead then pulled his blade from the body. The corpse came upward slightly with the blade. Zabuza placed his foot on its chest and pulled the sword away. He heard a strange sound as he did. A loud whining wound like birds chirping. He barely noticed the glowing light before it was buried in his chest, puncturing his heart and lungs. Zabuza spat blood and slumped forward on the arm holding him up.

"That was for Naruto," Kakashi said, his red eye spinning in its socket. Then he pulled his hand from the man's chest and fell to one knee. His chakra was depleted again. Someone began to scream from behind him. The scream ended abruptly.

* * *

Hinata was shaking in agony. Her shoulders and back were covered in senbon, each meant to disable or cripple her. Blood oozed from a cut on her cheek. There were several tears in her coat from where senbon had pierced it and missed. The veins around her eyes bulged viciously.

"I'm surprised you lasted this long," the man said, "your friend didn't doesn't seem to have made it."

"Fuck you!" Hinata spat. She flicked her gaze towards her downed teammate. Kiba and Akamaru were dead.

"Do not worry. You're about to join them."

Everything seemed to intensify just before the man threw his last senbon. All of Hinata's senses opened up. She could see and hear and smell everything. It was like Zabuza's mist no longer existed. She could see him now. He was just a glowing stick man. Naruto was on the ground. He wasn't breathing.

The first time Hinata had thought Naruto was wounded, she had screamed and embarrassed herself. Now he was dead. Hinata felt something go black inside her, If black could be used to describe a sensation. It wasn't hatred because even hatred was a form of attraction. This was pure loathing. A contempt so deep that she felt physically sick to be in their presence. She didn't want to kill them, she wanted them to stop existing altogether. She wanted to clean the world of their memory.

Hinata had only one thought as the senbon left the man's hand. It was one word spoken in a cycle so long that only thought could express it. "DIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIEDIE."

She raised her hand and let the senbon sink harmlessly into her arm. She could no longer feel them. Hinata rose from the ground and fumbled for a kunai. All thoughts of self-preservation or duty or pain or regret fled as if they were dogs with their tails between their legs. There was only the blackness and sickness. She could not rid herself of the blackness. But she could destroy the source of her sickness. She began to run towards the man who had killed her friend.

The man in the mask sighed as she ran towards him. It seemed that she would die with hatred in her heart. What a pitiful way to go.

He was about to throw more senbon when he became acutely aware of someone beside her. It was Zabuza. He was covered in wounds. Both arms had been torn off at the sockets. His throat was slit and his mouth gargled with blood as he tried to speak:

"Ha…ku…..why?"

Haku managed to scream before the kunai was buried in her forehead.

* * *

Sakura watched as the dome made of mirrors dissolve into nothingness. She unfolded her hands.

"Magen: Narakumi no Jutsu (Demonic Illusion: Hell Viewing Technique)," she said. She flinched as Hinata stabbed the man in the forehead. Then she paled as the knife came down a second time. Then she retched as knife came down for the fourth, the fifth, the sixth, and the seventh time. She had turned away by the time Kurenai-sensei had pried Hinata from the eviscerated corpse.

Then she heard someone's voice echo through the empty air.

"So Zabuza failed, huh?"

Hundreds of men suddenly appeared on the other side of the dissipating mist. They were all dirty and brown and armed to the teeth. Sakura drew a kunai from her pouch and held it in front of her like a shield. She had just discovered her love of fighting but she hadn't been expecting to get into a battle so soon.

Kurenai swore as the little business man in his grey suit gave a speech about how he had tricked Zabuza and his accomplice into working for him. Then he thanked them for killing the two. He hadn't planned to pay them anyway.

She quickly surveyed the immediate area. Kiba and Akamaru were out. Hinata, still struggling in her arms, was ready to fight. Sakura wouldn't be much help against dozens of foes. Kakashi had foolishly drained himself with one attack. She doubted he could use any major Jutsu. And Naruto…she felt sick for a moment then set it aside. Naruto would be no help.

Then she heard the low rumble of marching feet. Damn, more of them coming from behind! Kurenai whirled around with Hinata in the arms. A small mob of shadows broke through the mist. A small figure emerged first. It was Inari. He had a fresh bandage over his nose and cheek. The Blades of Mercy shone from each hand. And behind him was the entire Wave village, all of them armed with axes and pitchforks and scythes and knives. Men and women ranging from adults to the elderly, each with the same defiant look in their eyes. They were ready to fight.

Shino and Sasuke were also at the head of the mob. Shino's insects were already swarming around him while Sasuke had his hands folded in a Tora (Tiger) sign, ready to unleash a hell storm of fire.

"Gato!" Inari cried, "It's time you left! We won't cower under you anymore! We'll give you one chance to surrender and leave! If you don't, we will kill you all!"

Wave village echoed his cry.

The tiny man in the grey suit laughed. "As if you got the stomach to kill me! You didn't have the guts to do anything when I cut that bastard Kaiza's arms off!"

That seemed to douse the villager's fire a little. Kurenai could see the light in their eyes die a little.

"Don't listen to him! We weren't strong enough to do anything then. But we are gonna avenge Kaiza! We will be free of Gato!" Inari said, raising one hand in the air. "Everyone! Let's show them how strong Wave village is!"

The fire that had dimmed blazed anew in their eyes and Kurenai felt hope as it did. Maybe they would make it out with their lives.

"Anyone who brings me that brat's head will get double their pay!" Gato said. The bandit's roared in unison.

A loud gong like a church bell silenced them. It churned their insides. The sound drew their eyes to the bridge.

The little girl had been on the ground so they hadn't noticed her before. She was standing behind the man with silver hair. They could see her blonde hair and white dress splattered with blood. There was a massive gap that ran from her left shoulder until her waist. She had been cut almost in half. If some of them focused hard enough then they could see the bandits through her.

* * *

Kakashi felt him rise before he turned around. He had assumed it was Zabuza sneaking behind him and had whirled around with a kunai when he saw Naruto rising from his where he lay. It was impossible. Kakashi was frozen. His mind couldn't make sense of what was happening in front of his eyes. Naruto had been dead, he had felt his pulse, he had been dead! Kakashi watched the corpse stand and spotted the shocked Kurenai Yuhi through the gap that should have been Naruto's chest.

* * *

Bong. Bong. Bong. Bong.

Kurenai was transfixed by that sound. It seemed so sad. Then she saw Naruto. She retched and felt Hinata shake free of her grip. Kurenai stepped forward to catch her then stopped. She had seen the look in Hinata's eyes as she ran. She would not be stopped.

* * *

Hinata Hyuga did not run unless it was absolutely necessary, and she absolutely didn't run towards anyone so she could hug them. And yet, here she was running towards Naruto to hug him! She had just gotten close enough touch his shirt when Kakashi rammed into her and began to carry her away.

"Damn it! Let me go! Damn you Kakashi, let me go!" she cried, struggling against his grip.

"No! Not until you're away from him."

"But Naruto needs me! He's hurt!

"That isn't Naruto!"

That quelled Hinata. She stopped struggling as he set her down beside Kurenai. The villagers gathered around them to wonder at the spectacle that was Naruto.

"What do you mean?" Hinata asked, still visibly upset

Kakashi sighed. "His eyes, no human could have those eyes."

* * *

The bandits were also quelled by the bell's toll. It seemed to hang in the air, never quite fading before the next ring rose anew. It was as if they were inside a giant cave with its sound echoing off the walls and joining together in a sonorous choir that seemed to fill every inch of the minds.

Naruto was standing almost split in half. His left arm touched the ground as he stood. He looked like a puppet with half its strings cut.

Thin threads began to stretch between the pieces of flesh. The two sides of Naruto slowly stitched themselves together like you would sow a doll's arm back on. It made horrible sucking noise like boots coming out of mud. If the crowd had been close enough they would have noticed that the strings were made out of blood.

Then the bells fell silent.

Naruto was upon the bandits before they knew what to do. One moment he had been in the distance and then he was in the crowd, both blades of the Rakuyo in his hand, a whirlwind of steel and blood. Bandits screamed and fought, each trying to land a blow against the tiny blond. Some succeeded in burying their weapons in Naruto but they were torn to shreds before they could celebrate.

Gato began to run when it became clear that the blond was working his way towards him. He took 10 steps before a flying axe was buried in the back of his left leg. Gato screamed once and fell. His blood curdled when he looked back to inspect his wound.

The boy was standing in field of corpses. The men who weren't dead were moaning in agony as they clutched stomach wounds and severed limbs. He was soaked in blood, some of it from the dozen or so weapons sticking out of his body. The only features that were descirnable on him were his glowing eyes. All three of them. They were blue oceans.

Gato shuffled backwards on his elbows. "Please don't kill me! I can make you rich! I can give you anything you want!"

"Can you give me my father back?" a voice said from behind Naruto. Inari walked towards the downed man, the Blades of Mercy in each hand. "Can you give back all the people you killed? All the lives you ruined? Could you take back all the pain you caused?"

"Please, no, please don't, don't!"

One blade came down and severed the fingers from Gato's upheld hand. The second blade came down and caught the downed man in the knee that had been hit by the axe, almost severing the limb. Gato screamed. Inari thrust both daggers down in an 'X' motion and cut off Gato's nose. The man wailed and brought both arms upwards to try to block the daggers. It only prolonged his suffering as Inari worked himself into a frenzy, letting his muscles guide him through the series of exercises Naruto had given him. Gato became a living practice dummy for the boy. Inari's blades cut a long line on his belly, severed his left arm, took his right hand at the wrist, scored his left kidney and the lobe of his left ear. Two red troughs were torn from his face. A lucky hit caught Gato in the mouth and sent his tongue and the lower half of his jaw flying into the water. He died screaming and choking on his own blood.

Inari tried to swallow as he stepped back from what had been Gato. His throat hurt. He had been screaming. Naruto turned him around and hugged him. Inari dropped the Blades of Mercy and clutched at the slightly larger blond as a drowning man would cling to driftwood. Then he began to cry. Their audience remained respectfully, and fearfully, silent.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Okay, as always, please FEED ME REVIEWS!**

 **Also, I will list a few questions below that could help give me feedback on what I'm doing right (and wrong.) Please don't feel obligated to do anything, but it would help me make better content. Your time, and opinion, are always welcome. NO FLAMES, only constrictive criticism please!**

 **1.** **Did you find the writing clunky? Was it easy to read?**

 **2.** **Was it too long?**

 **3.** **Were the paragraphs too big?**

 **4.** **What did you like the most?**

 **5.** **What did you like the least?**

 **6.** **Did any character ring false?**

 **Thank you for reading my story!**


	7. Chapter 7

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

Team 7 and 8 were gathered with Tazuna's family around a burning funeral pyre. Zabuza and Haku were turning to ash on the cinders; Kakashi had demanded they be given a warrior's farewell, and considering what had happened, they were as much victims as any who suffered under Gato's reign.

"I don't think I need these anymore," Inari said, handing the Blades of Mercy back to Naruto.

Naruto took them.

Only Tazuna's family was there to see them off. The other villagers were weary of Naruto. They had seen what he had done and decided it was best if they didn't associate themselves with him. They were afraid of him.

"Are you sure?" Naruto said, his arms extended as if he were offering them for the first time.

Inari shook his head and smiled. "I've given Kaiza his mercy. I don't think I can give mercy like that again."

Naruto was about to put them away when Kurenai grabbed them. He looked at her with head cocked.

"Kiba, restrain him." She said.

Team 8 and Tazuna's family stared in mute confusion.

* * *

Team 8 was on a dirt road heading home. Kiba was carrying Naruto on his back, though it felt wrong to carry him as a prisoner rather than as his precious cargo. He had been mulling over the situation since they left Wave village. He knew he wasn't very smart and that he could be quite crass, so he was trying; had been trying since they had left, to carefully construct his following inquiry, and failed.

"What did Naruto do?"

Kurenai halted mid-step.

"What do you mean, Kiba?"

"Why did I have to tie Naruto up? He saved us on the bridge, you said so yourself, so why are we treating him like he's a prisoner?"

Hinata also halted. She wanted to know as well.

"He endangered us all," Kurenai said.

"What do you mean?"

Kurenai sighed and brushed some hair out of her face. She couldn't tell them that the real reason she had arrested him was to accuse him in front of the Hokage and hopefully get some answers.

"Kiba, the reason Jonin oversee their Genin's training is so they can know how strong their team is. This is a deciding factor in threat and risk assessment. I need to know how strong you are so I can make proper plans and tailor your abilities to the duties I assign. Naruto has been keeping his strength secret for too long. If we had known his prowess then we could have changed our plans and made a more direct form of action. By hiding his strength, Naruto endangered the lives of everyone around him and put the whole mission in jeopardy."

Kiba frowned. "But isn't the first rule in the Shinobi handbook, 'Deception is key.'"?

"Yes, but not between teammates. Konoha was founded on the basis of teamwork. And in teamwork, trust is key. Naruto hiding his abilities shows a clear lack of trust."

Kurenai felt like a bastard for using this opportunity to try and drive a wedge between them, but it would be easier to get information out of them if they were no longer loyal to him. She knew she was risking the trust of her team but she had to know; her conscious demanded it.

Kiba nodded and shifted Naruto's weight slightly. Hinata noticed. He, like she, instinctively knew that something was wrong.

She wasn't surprised by Naruto's strength, nor was she repelled by his skill in killing; in fact, it only thrilled her. There was something addictive about Naruto, and part of it came from his deception. He had never tried to hide his strength but he never flaunted it; he had never failed at the Academy but he never excelled either. It was as if Naruto relied on his anonymity to remain one step ahead of everyone else. She knew that if she could find his secret then she would have him, body and soul.

Hinata's thoughts drifted back to that night on the bridge. She had embarrassed herself by succumbing to her rage when she thought Naruto had died; such foolhardy action would have killed her if it hadn't been for Sakura. But it felt right when she had buried her kunai in that bastard Hunter-Nin's forehead; it felt just when she split his head in two. It was why she hadn't lost any sleep over it. She'd liked killing the Hunter-Nin.

But such outbursts would do her no good at home. She needed to rebuild her mental fortitude, to get ready to fall back into the abysmal pattern that befitted her status as a clan heir. Hinata squared her shoulders and eyed the road ahead with a face carved of stone.

Kiba was walking a half-step away farther away from Kurenai than he had before. He knew she wasn't being completely honest. Something in her voice gave her away, it was the same tone his sister used whenever she beat him in their spars; the haughty lilt of victory. Kiba shifted Naruto to his right, putting himself between him and Kurenai. What had she won?

* * *

"Why is Uzumaki Naruto restrained?"The Third asked. His eyes glittered from underneath the shadow of his Kage's hat.

Kurenai suddenly felt that she was in great peril. Here, in the Kage's office, she had become the mouse quivering before the smiling cat. Only years of training stopped her from trembling.

"I have found Uzumaki Naruto guilty of blatant dereliction of duty."

"That is a serious charge, Jonin Yuhi. On what grounds?"The Third said.

"We answered Team 7's call for aid and encountered two Jonin level shinobi when—"

"Yes, I heard about that from Kakashi. I assigned him to 2 months of D-rank missions as punishment."

Kurenai balked at the thought then continued. "Naruto has deliberately been downplaying his abilities and endangered his team and Team 7 as a consequence."

Both Kiba and Hinata wanted to mention the fact that they would have died if it hadn't been for him, but stopped when Naruto spared them a backwards glance.

"Be cool," he said.

"And how has he been downplaying his abilities?"The Third said. He took his pipe out of his desk drawer and began tapping the old ash out.

"He didn't tell me that he could kill almost 200 hundred bandits and heal instantly from a fatal wound."

The Third stuffed fresh tobacco into his pipe. He lit it and inhaled; the tobacco turned fire red for a moment then flickered out.

"You are dismissed, Genin Hyuga. You as well, Genin Inuzuka," he said. Smoke leaked from his nostrils.

Hinata stepped forward. "Hokage-sama, with all due respect, if something concerns Naruto then it concerns us as well. Kurenai-sensei has told us that trust is the key to teamwork. How can there be trust if we keep so many secrets?"

The Third puffed smoke and smiled slightly.

"Well said, young lady," he waved his hand dismissively, "you can stay."

Hinata and Kiba smiled.

Then the pressure came. Hinata felt her breath hitch in her throat and stay there. She couldn't think; couldn't move; couldn't breathe. She was paralyzed with fear. Then the horrible premonitions came: she imagined her throat being slit; her head coming off her shoulders; her arms ripped off and stuffed down her throat; her belly slit with her intestines hanging. Hinata felt that she would rather die than suffer under this defacing terror, and she had begun to feel for a kunai to slit her throat with when Naruto placed a hand on her shoulder, and the pressure disappeared.

"I am sorry that I had to do that, but I must make a point," the Third said in a level tone, "this is an S-rank secret. If you ever mention it outside this office, you will be executed. Am I clear?"

Team 8 gathered themselves. Hinata saw that Kiba had fallen to his knees before the Kage's might. Kurenai had remained standing, but she could see the sweat running down her forehead. The Kage had leveled them with only his presence. Hinata looked at Naruto was standing unchained, his hand still on her shoulder. He looked wholly unaffected.

"Am I clear?"

"Hai, Hokage-sama!" Team 8 said.

The Third made a sign with his hands and then 4 ANBU appeared, each garbed in black clothes and a mask. Each mask was that of a different animal; there was a bear, a cat, a boar and a rabbit.

"ANBU, leave us." They disappeared.

He took another long breath on his pipe. "Naruto is an Uzumaki."

Kiba stumbled. "We already know that!"

The pressure came back, making each member stand up straight, then left again.

"Let me finish," the Third said, "Naruto is an Uzumaki. The heir to the Uzumaki clan."

Kurenai made a small noise in her throat then smothered it. Hinata looked at her.

"What do you know?"

"The Uzumaki clan was one of the 3 clans that founded Konoha," the Third said.

"But the Academy told us that there are only two founding clans, the Senju and the Uchiha!" Kiba said.

"Yes, but there was another clan, a secret backer if you will," the Third said, "Konoha needed more protection than just a giant wall. So when the village was being built, the first Hokage hired the Uzumaki to build the wall. They were seal masters, and layered hundreds of seals upon the wall's interior. That's why we have no scouting missions to check the wall's integrity. It is nigh impenetrable."

Team 8 looked out the window to their left. In the distance, just beyond last line of buildings, was the great wall, baked yellow by the sun.

"That's the reason our Shinobi vests all bear the Uzumaki swirl."

This little bit of knowledge astounded the Genin. They had all seen the red swirl on the backs of their Chunin and Jonin, yet they never asked what it was. This little tidbit brought things into perspective for Hinata. Here was another clue that had been staring her in the face, and yet she only now understood what it meant. She swore she would look over all the information she already had with a fresh eye. There was even more to Naruto than she had ever thought.

"But what happened to the Uzumaki?" Kiba asked, then sneezed.

The room was now pungent with the scent of burnt tobacco. The Third, with his nose and mouth leaking smoke and his eyes glittering from the shadows, no longer looked human. He had become a billowing shade, something that sighed through the air and smelled of burnt leaves and smoke.

"They were destroyed in a joint attack by neighboring hidden villages, including Iwagakure. They were all killed, except for one who had been sent to Konoha for protection: Naruto's mother, Uzumaki Kushina."

Team 8's heads snapped towards Naruto who was standing with both hands behind his back, gently rocking on his heels. He met their gaze with the big, innocent eyes of a child. Uzumaki Kushina had been one of the most powerful shinobi to ever come out of Konohagakure. There was only a handful that could be considered her equal, and only one was considered stronger, the Fourth Hokage himself. Naruto's skill suddenly made sense.

"But what has that got to do with Naruto holding back?" Kiba asked.

"Naruto underplayed his abilities because I asked him to. As I was saying before, Naruto is an Uzumaki, and the Uzumaki have a very strange anatomy. They live for a very long time; zome of them could live for more than a century. The all had unusual vitality. They recovered from exhaustion faster and healed quicker than any other clan. You could say that the Uzumaki had some sort of bloodline. Then there's Naruto. His healing is the greatest the Uzumaki have ever produced. You've seen it yourself. Blows that would kill other men only wound Naruto."

Hinata remembered Naruto's face the day after she hit him. His bruises had healed overnight.

"Why was I not privy to this, Hokage-sama? I am his teacher. I need to know such det—"

"What you need to know is your place, Kurenai Yuhi. I am still the Hokage and you are still my Jonin." the Third said evenly.

Kurenai's cheeks blazed.

"If the other hidden villages learned of Naruto's abilities, then they would try to "acquire" him to breed a legion of Uzumaki ninja loyal to them; soldiers who heal faster and fight longer than any other. I do not need to tell you what it would mean for any village who opposed them."

Hinata grasped Naruto's hand, more to comfort herself than him. Her worst memory had been the thought that she would be bred like some contest-winning mare. The idea that they would do it to Naruto made her blood boil. She dared them to try!

Kiba felt the rumbling in his throat before he heard himself growl. The room's occupants turned to look at him. He blushed then quietly apologized.

"Now you understand why Naruto's abilities have to remain a secret," the Third said, taking his pipe from his mouth. He pointed one end towards Kurenai. "You are dismissed."

Kurenai nodded insincerely. "Go ahead. I have to finish our report," she said, handing the Blades of Mercy back to Naruto. Her team nodded and left.

"Is there something I can help you with?" the Third said.

"Yes, I would like to know what Naruto's bloodline has to do with Mitarashi Anko."

"And what makes you assume that Naruto has something to do with her condition?"

Kurenai caught herself before she hissed at him; she hated being played for a fool.

"Naruto was with Anko when she was diagnosed. He knew she was sick even before I did. I am Anko's best friend. If I am to teach Naruto then I need to be able to trust him."

The Third sighed then put his pipe down. "I only know what Naruto has told me."

"Please."

"The Uzumaki bloodline is unique in that it's quite literally in their blood. It is similar to a blood-borne pathogen. Anyone who ingests Uzumaki blood becomes "infected" with their bloodline. Those infected either die or adopt the bloodline, essentially becoming an Uzumaki."

"So Anko was infected? Then why does she drinks his blood."

Then the Hokage did something strange; he inclined his head to her as if to apologize. "Anko has adopted Naruto's bloodline, but there was a side-effect. The bloodline is killing her."

Kurenai felt a sharp jab of air almost collapse her. "So she's going to die?"

"No, no! Not yet, at least.

"Why?"

"The Uzumaki bloodline has a strange duality to it. In an Uzumaki, it heals the flesh and keeps them healthy. It can be used to heal others as well, but the effect is only temporary. The disease burns them out. It degrades the body over time. The only cure is more of the same. This is why Anko needs Naruto's blood to sustain her."

"But it's still killing her?"

"Yes but the declination is gradual. Naruto assures me that she will live to a comfortable age if she keeps drinking her medication."

"Hokage-sama, I think Naruto is blackmailing Anko."

The heavy aura of the Third's killing intent came down on her shoulders and drove her to her knees.

"I would suggest you keep your accusations to yourself, Jonin Yuhi," he hissed. "You know nothing of Naruto. That you would even think him capable of such speaks of your intentions. What proof do you have?"

Kurenai forced herself to look at the Third. "Anko's behavior has changed since she met Naruto. She is too guarded and secretive. I think she's in trouble."

The pressure disappeared. "What trouble?"

"I think Naruto is holding back on her medication. He is deliberately starving her in order to extract favors from her."

The Third leaned forward on his elbows. His eyes glittered dangerously. "What sort of favours?"

Kurenai choked. She daren't mention what she really thought Naruto was doing yet it seemed the most plausible answer. "Sexual favors, Hokage-sama."

"You should leave, Jonin Yuhi, before I lose my temper.

"Hokage-sama, please, there's something Naruto isn't telling us, something that's hurting Anko. Please, as her friend, let me ask her. Let me bring her before you and let her confess." Kurenai begged.

"Naruto is only 13 years old. What type of sexual favors could he extract from a capable Jonin?"

Kurenai didn't have an answer, but she knew something was wrong. Anko had lost so much weight, her eyes were black craters and her cheeks looked like deflated lungs. Something was eating away at her and Naruto was at the center of it.

"I don't know, Hokage-sama. All I know is that something is hurting Anko and I suspect Naruto to be involved. Sexual favors seem like the only logical fit."

The Third stared at her with granite eyes. Kurenai braced herself for another crushing bout of Killing Intent.

"You seem to be very passionate about this subject. Fine. Find out what you can then report back to me. But this must not affect your team's progress. If I hear one complaint from Naruto that you are neglecting him or his training then—"

"I swear, I will not do anything without solid proof," Kurenai said.

The Hokage reached into the bottom drawer of his desk and pulled out a yellow scroll. He tossed it to Kurenai.

"The Chunin Exams begin in a month's time. Are you going to enter Team 8?"

Kurenai looked at the scroll.

"Yes."

* * *

The Inuzuka compound lay on the very edge of the village, just a little way from the Shinobi Training Grounds. It had a large square courtyard that lead into two huge buildings. There was a kennel towards the right end of the courtyard with a bunch of dogs barking behind bars. A large door lay on the opposite end. It seemed more like a petting zoo than a home.

"Sorry about the noise. The Inuzuka work as Konoha's dog breeders and veterinarians. We're in charge of taking care of any strays that wander throughout Konoha." Kiba said.

"I like it," Naruto said.

Kiba smiled. "C'mon, I have to introduce to my mom. A little warning, she can be pretty rough when she wants to be, but I know she loves me a lot. She just expresses it different from other people.

"Hey brat!" someone called from a distance.

Naruto and Kiba turned.

Inuzuka Tsume was a short woman with wild black hair and two red triangles running down her cheeks. Two white fangs hung over her bottom lip. She was dressed in a tight, black combat suit. A white towel, dirty with grime, hung around her shoulders.

She pulled Kiba close and knuckled his head affectionately. Kiba took his punishment with a smile.

"Who's your friend?" This was the first time she had a close look at Naruto and thus was unprepared to see him. Naruto saw her smile quiver slightly then correct itself. Kiba, who was still wrapped in her arms, didn't notice. He stepped back and hung an arm around Naruto's shoulder.

"Mom," Tsume straightened at his tone, this was something serious, "I think I've found my Alpha."

Naruto, Kiba and his mother were gathered around a large table in the dining room. Kiba sat between Naruto and his mother. Naruto took a moment to review the Inuzuka's dining room. It was round, with green walls and brown floor panels. There was a picture of a group of dogs playing poker on the far wall.

Tsume had both hands face down on the table. She looked like a doctor about to deliver unfortunate news.

"I don't think you understand what you just told me, Kiba."

Kiba immediately wanted to object but stopped when he heard his mother call him by his first name. She hadn't done that since the day his father had died.

"You have no idea what claiming an Alpha truly entails," she said.

"But isn't it just making someone your leader?"

Tsume smiled sincerely and took one of his hands. "Claiming an Alpha is more than just making someone your superior. It is a bonding contract between two people; a commitment that supersedes love or friendship, something that only animals can usually do," she turned towards Naruto, "that's why our training demands that we become as in-tune with our instincts as animals, for a chance to create such a bond."

Naruto nodded.

"But what's so bad about it? Why can't me and Naruto bond like that?"

"Because the bond is more than simply calling someone your Alpha. Marking someone as your Alpha means permanently placing them above you. It means submitting your will to that of another person. If you name someone your Alpha then you will not be able to disobey them. Your Alpha could tell you to kill your family and you would be compelled to do so."

Kiba eyes swelled in their sockets.

"Married couples only become bonded after decades of marriage, and even then they usually fail. It takes more than just love. It takes more than just commitment. A true bond takes devotion of the highest order. An almost physical need to submit."

"But what about you, Mom?" Kiba said, "You bonded and your partner died. It can't be that bad."

Tsume's grip tightened until the bones in Kiba's hand creaked. Kiba cried out and tried to pull himself from her but froze when he saw her eyes. Her pupils had turned to slits of onyx.

"Don't you dare make light of my bond," she said, "don't you dare sit there and tell me it wasn't 'that bad'. You have no idea what her death did to me. Don't you dare ever compare us to your childish fantasies of bonding."

Tsume's grip lessened considerably and Kiba took his hand back, flexing it to make sure nothing was broken. She took several calming breaths before glaring at Kiba.

"I'm sorry Kiba, but you have to understand, I loved her. I loved her more than I loved your father. The only times I ever felt more love were when you and Hana were born, and even then it only lasted for a moment. She was, bar-none, the most important person in my life."

Kiba stared in stunned silence. Naruto shot him a sympathetic look. It was a bad day when your mother told you she loved someone more than you.

Tsume's eyes shined with ashamed tears. "When she died, the thought of living without her was unbearable. I tried—," she sniffed and knuckled the corners of her eyes, "I tried to kill myself."

Naruto caught Kiba's hand as it flew to intercept his mother's cheek.

"How dare you!? Suicide? What happened to responsibility?! What happened to loving your kids!? Do we mean so little to you?" Kiba's voice shrunk and his shoulders began to shake. "Do I mean so little to you?"

His mother sighed. She got up and hugged Kiba. He tried to claw her but soon gave up when he realized she had no plans of letting go, no matter how much he struggled.

"This is what I meant when I said you didn't understand. The bond is eternal. It is letting someone mark your very soul with their presence. Yes, I tried to kill myself. But it wasn't because I loved her more than you. It was because I thought I didn't have the strength to carry on without her. Most Inuzuka who lose their Alpha usually die shortly after out of grief, or they kill themselves."

"But what about us? What about me and Hana?"Kiba asked.

"You two are the only reason I could go on," Tsume said vehemently as she stroked his hair, "I was going to slit my neck, quick and clean. But you started crying the moment I set the kunai to my throat, and then I realized that my life wasn't about me anymore. It wasn't about my pain but the pain.. So I grit my teeth and I picked you up and I sang to you until you fell asleep. You saved me, Kiba. You and Hana saved me."

Kiba sniffled for a moment, then snorted, then began to sob wholeheartedly. Tsume held him, tears streaming. She began to sing. It was a simple song, the kind that would be played by a music box. Naruto smiled as the two slowly sank to the floor. His mother had taught her the lullaby.

* * *

Kiba seemed embarrassed after his crying spell. He hadn't said a word since they had begun walking to Naruto's home; he insisted on delivering Naruto to his door. Naruto looked at him fondly and snuck under his arm, letting it slip around his neck. Kiba immediately wanted to pull away but stopped when Naruto touched his hand. Suddenly the thought of him leaving his presence only made him sick.

"Sorry about that thing with Mom," Kiba said, "that's the first time Mom ever talked about her Alpha. Wasn't what I expected her to say but I guess she made a point; I don't think I'm ready for that kind of relationship," he held up his other hand, "not that I don't trust you, it's just—"

Naruto took his hand and stroked the back of it with his thumb.

"Thanks," Kiba said.

Then he became aware of all the people staring at them as they crossed into the dark of the mountain. Women glanced at them with fascination; children ran past with hands over the mouths; and some men stared with pointed disgust.

"Naruto, why are they staring at us?"

"Because they think we're gay," Naruto said.

Kiba moved so quickly that almost seemed to phase out of Naruto's grip "But we're not right? We're not gay!" he yelled to the crowd who, in turn, stared at him.

"Of course we're not gay. They just don't know that. Now come," Naruto said, taking his hand, "You felt the need to walk me home so let's do that before the sun goes down."

Naruto tugged Kiba into several alleyways before they arrived at his apartment block. It was a grey/white building segmented into blocks called "apartments". There were a dozen blocks and each had a blue door with a number ranging from 1 to 12.

Kiba gestured to the building. " _This_ is where you live?"

"No, this is my summer house. I winter on the other side of the village. The schools are so nice there and the men," he gave Kiba an up and down look, "ooh la la."

Kiba took a step back. "You're kidding, right?"

Naruto's mouth trembled then he began to laugh although nothing came out of his mouth. Kiba would have been dazed by the laugh's beauty if he wasn't busy being embarrassed.

"Shut up," he said.

"Walk me to the door?"

"Depends. Which floor?"

"Seventh apartment on the third floor.

They soon arrived at Naruto's apartment.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow?" Kiba asked.

Naruto stepped close until his chin rested on Kiba's chest.

"Kiba?"

"Yes?"

"Is your mom a lesbian?

* * *

Blood pooled at the base of a giant tree in the middle of the Forest of Death. There was light filtering through the heavy brush above and it reflected off the blood, making it look almost orange under the failing rays. There were several wolf corpses on the ground. Each had been ripped limb from limb. Various organs were spilled from their bodies; a heart half chewed, part of a kidney, a line of intestine with ragged ends, and part of a wolf's brain was liquidizing from a hole in the one of the corpse's heads. A bone snapped nearby.

Naruto stared sadly at the hunched form of Anko as she tore into a wolf carcass, eating flesh by the handful. He waited until she finished swallowing then spoke:

"Anko."

The Jonin launched herself at him and tackled him to the ground. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck and licked his jugular vein perversely with stray humping motions. Naruto let her sink her teeth in and suck at the wound until she was contentedly suckling like a babe nursing on it's mother's teat, then twisted out of her grip and stood. He shivered for a moment and swallowed. The act had been tantamount to rape for him, but he knew she needed it, even though the manner with which she got it disgusted him. Anko uncurled herself and shakily stood. She looked like someone who was standing after a sudden earthquake. Her eyes focused in the low light and saw a shock of pale blond hair. She took two big steps backwards.

"What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" she looked down at her hands and her head darted to his face. She closed the distance between them and raised his head. She inspected him for a moment then sighed in relief. "Thank God, it's not yours."

Naruto smiled at the fact that she was worried about him but stepped backwards. He didn't want her to attack him again.

"What the hell? Why is there so much blood?" Anko's eyes darted around to assess her environment. There were at least 7 dead wolves around them, mutilated beyond recompense. Her feet and hands were drenched with blood. Her eyes grew to brown coins. She lolled her tongue in her mouth and picked a loose piece of flesh from behind her teeth. She spat it out then vomited blood-red liquid. Anko heaved air then, when she was sure that she was empty, collapsed onto her knees.

"What the fuck did I do?"

"You didn't take your medicine," Naruto said plainly.

Anko nodded. "But why this?"

"You weren't taking my blood so your body found another source; wolf's blood can sate your appetite but it can't quench your thirst."

"God."

"Why did you do it?"

Anko's next words were cut short by a strangling noise in her throat.

"What are you talking about?"

"Anko, I know what you did. Why did you do it?"

The Jonin looked away, ashamed.

"Because I thought that it would break your hold on me. Thought it would stop whatever was happening between us," she barked a cold laughter, "I wanted to have some kind of control over myself again. What a joke," she shook her head. "And it worked. But I would take it back in a second if I could. All I did was hurt you, and me."

Naruto looked at her sadly.

"Please," she said, "don't cry. I can take anything but I know I can't stand you crying. Anko raked a hand over her face then turned to leave. "And please, don't come back here again. I'm not worth it. I think I've proven that I'm nothing but a whore."

Anko disappeared.

Naruto's mouth trembled then he knuckled the corners of his eyes. He couldn't make decisions for her anymore. She had decided to go alone and he couldn't interfere. All he could do was pray.

Naruto extended his arms, one to the sky and one to the right. Then came the sound of small streams of water flowing downhill towards a raging river; the river carried him down the mountain and into the sea where he dived down deep into the midnight blue abyss. Naruto slowly rotated his arms to the left until his right hand was pointed to the sky and his left pointed outwards. Then he breathed out and relaxed his arms. Now he would have to wait.

Kurenai knew something was wrong the moment she saw Anko's door swing ajar. She rushed forward and almost broke the door down. What she saw froze her blood. Anko was lying in a puddle of her own vomit surrounded by dozens of prescription bottles and sake jars. Kurenai ran towards her and dragged Anko to the bathroom and positioned her over the toilet. She jammed two fingers down Anko's throat then sighed in relief as Anko vomited into the toilet. She held Anko's hair back until she finished, then yelled:

"What hell were you thinking?!"

Anko's eyes lolled in their sockets then focused on Kurenai.

"Just needed to stop feelin' for a bit. Just needed—," she mumbled unintelligently. Her eyes rolled back into her skull.

"Damn it!" Kurenai said. She heaved Anko onto her shoulders and made a sign with her hands. They disappeared with a gentle breeze which rustled the shower curtains.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I have just posted a short story called The Burnt Boy's Family; my alias is Guydreaming on Wattpad. Can you please support me and check it out? Of course, if you just want more fanfiction then you don't have to read it, but it would help improve my abilities if you could critique my non-fanfiction work.**

 **Thank you for your consideration.**

 **Also, FEED ME REVIEWS!**


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

* * *

Hinata and Kiba were both aware that Naruto and their teacher were staring at each other like two kids sizing each other up. Hinata coughed into her hand and almost recoiled at the speed at which their heads spun to look at her.

"You called us here for an announcement, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata said.

"Oh, right," Kurenai caught herself, "The Chunin Exams are being held in Konoha this year and I've decided to enter our team."

Kiba leapt up. "Really, sensei?" Kiba sat again. "But aren't we a bit young to be entering the exams?"

"Yes, you are young, and yes, most teams usually wait a year before entering, but I have witnessed you all face down Jonin level ninja and patrol an area for 24 hours a day for 4 consecutive days. I believe you are ready," Kurenai said.

Team 8 roused at her speech; Kiba's chest swelled under his jacket and his shoulder's squared; Hinata stood a little straighter; Even Naruto smiled a little. It was moments like this that reminded him why Kurenai was a good leader. She could inspire them.

"So, in preparation for the exam, I have called in a favor from one of our opposing teams. Might Guy has agreed that training in a vacuum will not help either of our teams. We will train with Team Guy for the next month."

Hinata's breath hitched in her throat and she coughed.

"Something wrong?" Kiba asked, placing his hand on her shoulder. She shrugged him off.

"No," she said, clearing her throat. Kiba wanted to question her further but stopped when Naruto grabbed his hand. The blond shook his head. Kiba got the hint.

* * *

Training Ground #9 was just a bare dirt field with a few wooden training posts that looked like they were holding up the sky.

Team 8 had just arrived when they were assaulted by two figures flying towards them, screaming "Double Dynamic Entry". Team 8 dispersed to evade the attack and the two green missiles darted past, landing behind them and exploding into a cloud of dust. Team 8 turned to face their attackers.

The dust cloud dissipated to reveal Might Guy and Rock Lee. Their resemblance was uncanny. They were both dressed in green spandex and orange legwarmers; each with a black, bob haircut and thick eyebrows like glued on caterpillars.

Kiba rubbed his eyes. They reminded him of a carnival mirror that reflected you either bigger or smaller; only this was even more bizarre because he was certain that they were two separate entities. It was as if Rock Lee and Might Guy was the same person occupying in two different spaces and time . The sight of them boggled Kiba's mind.

Kurenai rubbed her temples and realized that she had developed this habit after meeting Team 8.

"Guy-sensei, would you please not attack my students before they know who you are?"

The two smiled. Team 8 watched in horror as their teeth _gleamed_ in the sunlight.

"Don't worry, Kurenai-sensei! We knew you could avoid such a basic attack!" Guy said, his mouth shining with a sort of disfigured beauty, like a girl's reflection in a broken mirror.

"Yosh! Sensei told me that you were most youthful! You must be very strong to have avoided our attack!" the Might Guy clone said. He approached them and held his hand out to Naruto, intent to have it shook. "You must be Naruto." Naruto shook his hand and smiled.

"Sensei told me that you are very skilled in Taijutsu!" Lee pointed at Naruto, "I challenge you to a spar!"

Hinata stepped in front of Naruto. "Don't you think that it's rude to challenge someone to a fight before you introduce yourself?"

"Oh! Please forgive my most unyouthful behavior!" Lee said. He pointed to himself with one wrapped thumb. "I am Rock Lee! The second coming of Konoha's Beautiful Green Beast!"

He smiled and his teeth reflected sunlight into their eyes. Hinata blinked then shook herself free from the frightening mirage.

"I am Hyuga—"

"Hinata-sama," Neji said, approaching from behind them. There was a girl with two buns of brown hair on her head walking beside him.

Hinata spun around and came face to face with her cousin. He was slightly taller than her, with black hair and square shoulders despite his almost feminine figure. His eyes were frowning oysters.

"Neji," she said, "What are you doing here?"

Neji swelled slightly. "This is my team, Hinata-sama."

The Hyuga heiress didn't allow herself to flinch. This type of interaction was the reason why she avoided spending time with her cousin; which was surprisingly little considering that he was her personal bodyguard. They weren't like when they were children anymore; she had once called him brother. She sometimes ached for him, but had come to the realization that was once would never be again.

"It appears that we will be working together," Hinata said.

"It appears so," Neji said. Then he saw Naruto. Neji took two quick steps and met the hard edge of Kiba's shoulder.

"Don't even try it, pretty boy," Kiba growled.

"And what do you think I was trying to do?"

"One good thing about having enhanced hearing is that you can hear someone's heart. My mom has been training me to sense someone's emotions via the pattern of their heartbeat. The intent to kill was the first thing she taught me."

Neji jerked at Kiba's accusation then regained his composure. "And why wouldn't I? You have no idea who he is."

Kurenai glanced at her team then at Neji. She hesitantly took her place in front of her students.

"Did I just hear you threaten my student, Genin?"

Neji turned his gazed to his feet.

"No."

Kurenai looked at him skeptically then waved him off.

Guy watched their interaction with interest. Neji had always been a brooding youth but he was getting worse. He was closing himself off from his team. Guy had tried to relate to him but the boy rebuffed him at every turn; Neji didn't want to hear anything unrelated to his training. This had been the first time that he had said or done anything unusual and revealed two key facts: the first was that Neji and Naruto had some bad blood between them; the second was that Neji _had_ been ready to attack Naruto in front of half a dozen witnesses. It meant that Neji hated Naruto enough to risk imprisonment, or even execution. This coupled, with his recent behavior, made Guy fear for the future of his team.

"Please forgive Neji for his most unyouthful behavior. I shall personally reprimand him when we are finished with training," Guy said, his voice now a steel bass that reminded Naruto of when the Hokage was talking to his ANBU.

Neji didn't react outwardly but Ten-Ten flinched. Guy had made them do laps around the village the last time he had used that tone.

"Neji! You shouldn't try to fight outside of spars. You are acting most unyouthful!" Lee said with usual gusto.

"Shut up."

* * *

Neji's legs were spread and his arms were stretched out with palms thrust forward. Naruto stood a few meters away. He seemed completely relaxed. Guy appreciated this approach. Naruto's technique relied upon anonymity; he lulled his opponents into a confidence then capitalized on their mistakes. This could end a fight quickly but Guy wondered whether or not it would work on Neji.

Neji made the first move. He pushed off with his back foot and propelled himself forward with one palm thrusting out to hit Naruto's chest. Naruto feinted to the left, his body almost falling away from the attack, then swung back, punching Neji in the jaw. Neji crashed onto the ground then vaulted onto his feet again. He pushed forward again, attacking with a series of finger jabs that would have paralyzed a lesser man. Naruto merely glided around the attacks as if they were practiced steps to a dance. He trucked Neji's left arm and brought it over his shoulder, sending the Hyuga crashing to the ground. The Hyuga curled into himself, winded.

"A wonderful match!" Guy said, clapping, "I think Naruto has proven himself the winner!"

"Alright, Naruto!" Kiba cheered.

Hinata smiled then cast a glance at the downed Neji. He was clutching his side. Hinata's eyes bulged in their sockets. He had two broken ribs.

"Guy-sensei, Neji has two broken ribs. I think someone should take him to the hospital."

Guy nodded then turned to his team. "Continue sparring with Team 8 while I take Neji to the hospital.

Ten-Ten and Lee nodded absentmindedly. They were still dazed from Neji's loss. The thought that this stoic, unbeatable, and arrogant genius could be so easily defeated shook their sanity. Ten-Ten and Lee were now achingly aware that they were much more insignificant than they had been before. Neji being the strongest Genin was no longer the case. There was something beyond him; twilight space between where they were and where they wanted to be. That space was called Naruto.

Neji ruminated on his loss. He hadn't been able to land a single blow, let alone defend himself. It was degrading, and his mortification only increased as Guy helped him to his feet like an injured puppy. The veins around his eyes bulged. Naruto's was staring with his team. Damn him! Was he so ignorant as to ignore a still living opponent? Did he think that this fight was finished? Neji broke free from Guy's grip and thrust his chakra soaked palm into Naruto's chest. He had no time to feel satisfaction before Team Guy wrestled him onto the ground.

"Do you have any idea what you just did?" Guy hissed coldly.

Neji couldn't respond. His face was pressed into the dirt.

"Your Genin just tried to murder one of my students," Kurenai said, her hand on the downed Naruto's chest.

Guy grimaced.

"Neji, do you have anything to say?"

Guy lifted his face from the dirt.

"Yes. He killed my father!" Neji said as he struggled under their grip. His mouth frothed slightly.

All of them turned to Naruto, prone and breathing in huge wasps of air. Hinata had his head in her lap. There was blood leaking from the corners of his mouth. Both turned their heads to look at Neji. Kiba snarled and rose to approach Neji but Hinata grabbed his hand.

"Don't," she said, "let me handle this." Kiba didn't contest her. He knew how vicious she could be.

"Hyuga Neji," everyone turned to her, "I consider your attack upon my teammate as a personal affront," she held her hands up in a strange seal that only Neji understood, who almost swallowed his tongue in shock, "and if you should try to hurt him again, I will use this until you are an invalid. Do we understand one another?"

Neji's skin crawled at the sight of that seal. He stopped struggling and laid completely still, his muscles tensing in preparation for the excruciating pain. Then the fear left and was replaced with an almost tangible fury that he could barely keep from showing on his face. He snarled for a moment then shut down; his face becoming an apathetic gaze that befitted someone of the Hyuga clan.

"Hai, Hinata-sama," he said.

* * *

Guy left Ten-Ten and Lee stay behind to continue their training. Though the two remaining members kept their eyes on Naruto who, after a brief period of rest, was practicing like nothing had happened.

They were well into an hour of training when Hinata saw someone approach from the distance. It was Sakura. She had changed her outfit. She now had a short, red shirt that cut off at the midriff, exposing her belly, and her bicycle shorts were hidden under a brown combat skirt that hung to her knees. She had cut her hair; it ended just above her shoulders. Hinata nodded her approval.

"Hello, Haruno-san," she said, "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, hello, Hinata-san. I'm looking for Naruto," Sakura said.

Hinata arched her brow. What could Sakura want with Naruto? She pointed to her left.

"Naruto's taking a break under that tree near the training posts."

Sakura nodded thanks and began walking towards Naruto.

Naruto was seated under the shade of a nearby tree. Light fell through the leaves of the tree and showered his face with tiny sunspots. He had just started to drift to sleep when Sakura approached.

"Hello," she said shyly, coming under the shade, "Naruto, I was thinking, could you maybe train me some more?"

Naruto nodded.

"Thank you! Kakashi-sensei hasn't been training us like he promised and I want to get stronger. I did help Hinata kill that Hunter-Nin, but that was just luck. He was distracted and I don't think I could have fooled him if his focus was on me."

Naruto nodded again.

Sakura twirled a strand of her hair.

"And it's not like I could ask Sasuke or Shino for training; they both usually just go off on their own after missions. And I tried doing it on my own for a while but that was getting me nowhere, then I thought about that time when we sparred. And I thought that you might be willing to do it again, so I came down to see—I'm rambling, I'm sorry, I just get nervous sometimes and I was afraid you might say no."

Naruto beckoned her to sit. Sakura took her place beside him. A brush and a pot of ink appeared beside Naruto, and he had dipped the brush in the ink before Sakura knew what was happening.

"What's that?" she asked, eyeing the stained brush.

Naruto extended his hand and clasped hers.

"You want to put something on me? Okay. If it'll help."

Naruto took her right hand with his left and drew a symbol on her palm. Then he pulled two lengths of bandages from his pouch.

"What's this supposed to be?" she said, studying the symbol. It was an eye with a star surrounding it.

"Hey, Naruto, what is this thing supposed to—"

"Do?" Naruto said, his voice ghosting through her psyche.

"Come, we need to bind your hands."

"Oh, okay," she said. She was too shocked to ask how he was speaking to her without moving his mouth.

Naruto inspected her hands; they were dainty and soft and almost porcelain white. Naruto began wrapping the bandages around her hands and lower arm.

"These bandages will protect your hands for now, at least until we get to the other training I have planned for you."

Sakura felt her cheeks blaze at the thought that Naruto had training planned for her. Which meant that he'd planned to train her for a long time; the thought almost made Sakura squeal. She couldn't wait to become stronger.

* * *

Naruto and Sakura were standing face to face. Sakura was shaking with excitement. Naruto charged. Sakura was ready and jabbed at his face but only hit air as Naruto slipped under her guard and landed a palm thrust that lifted her off her feet. Sakura rolled backwards with the attack to lessen the blow then stood. She could already feel the adrenaline burning through her muscles.

Sakura ducked under Naruto's sweeping kick and threw a vicious uppercut that sent Naruto flying backwards. He somersaulted and landed on his feet.

"Is that the best you can do, Naruto?" Sakura said. She was aware that taunting Naruto was like disturbing a bee's hive, but she wanted to catch a glimpse of him at his full power; just enough to know how far she had to climb to be his equal.

Naruto's disappeared.

Sakura held her breath. Then Naruto playfully tapped her nose.

"Tag, you're it!" Naruto said and ran away. Sakura took a moment to make sure that all her limbs were intact, and then pursued the fleeing blond.

* * *

Naruto went through the motions slowly; bouncing from one foot to another, hands raised to his face, chin tucked against his chest. Sakura imitated his movements. Naruto stepped forward and jabbed at Sakura's head. She ducked under the punch and brought her left hand up in an arc that almost clipped Naruto's chin. He swayed to the left then parried her right hook; gut punched and cracked Sakura in the jaw. She stumbled, licked the cut on her lip, and smiled. She charged, her arms swinging in furious arcs that would take the average man's head off.

The others stopped training to watch as the two's slugfest. This was not the intricate dance that Naruto had with Neji; this was a brutal form of combat that lacked any complexity or grace. Rock Lee gazed in admiration. This was pure Taijutsu without the frills or the fuss of Kata. It was majestic, like two tigers fighting for dominance.

Ten-ten and Hinata both noted the way the two combatants swayed in place; their feet never left the ground as they evaded one another; gently swinging around the attacks like leaves upon the wind.

Kiba took one look at Naruto's prowess then proceeded with his training. He didn't need a reminder of how strong Naruto was.

Sakura let Naruto hit her in the jaw and used the momentum to spin her in a close circle before she drove her knee into the blond's ribs. He caught the offending limb and flipped her over onto her back. The impact of her head meeting the ground made her vision fail for a moment. Sakura was once again on her back with her lungs heaving and her arms aching. She had never felt so alive.

Naruto helped her to her feet.

"That was good," he said, "let's get you home."

Sakura nodded then grimaced. She put the first two fingers of her right hand in her mouth and began fumbling around. She tugged a loose tooth out with an audible crack then spat a wad of almost gelatinous blood onto the ground.

Lee smiled. "Congratulations on your first blood, Sakura-san."

* * *

Sakura noted how Naruto's hair seemed to almost glow in low light. It was dusk now, and several buildings were already alight; some had neon signs displaying the word "Open" in bright colors. She had always wondered about Konoha's nightlife but had never considered how many brothels and bars were speckled through the proud community. She had never considered that a life of bloodshed almost certainly lead to heavy drinking and drug addiction; had never considered that the term "Shinobi bar" had been popularized after the Third Shinobi War because of the number of ninja who drank themselves to death in order to forget what they had done. No one mentioned it because it would have discouraged others from becoming shinobi.

"So where do you live?" Sakura said.

"On the other side of town," Naruto replied, "near the Red light district."

Sakura stumbled then fell back into rhythm with Naruto. "Really? But isn't that close to where the criminal dens and the w-who—"

"Whorehouses. Yes. There are whorehouses and criminal dens in the Red light district, but there are whorehouses and criminal dens everywhere." Naruto said with a knowing smile.

Sakura fumbled for another subject.

"W-where did you say you lived?"

Naruto almost laughed. She was cute when she was nervous. "I live near the Red light district. Where do you live?"

Sakura's smile lit up. "Oh, I live in the Merchant district with my parents. My mom is a member of the Civilian Council and my Dad works at the bank—"

Naruto's consciousness snapped to a knife's edge as he felt someone peer at him from a distance. He didn't turn his head to look but nodded occasionally as Sakura carried on about her family and her goals for the future. Whoever was following him was vaulting from one rooftop to the next with little effort; a shinobi perhaps?

Naruto grabbed Sakura's hand and darted into one of the darkened alleyways.

"I know a shortcut," he said.

They flitted through the passage with nauseating flashes of light that left Sakura feeling sick. She had the curious feeling of being squeezed, as if giant hands had wrapped themselves around her. The feeling disappeared as they exited the alleyway and arrived in the Merchant's district on the other side of the village.

"That was some shortcut," Sakura said, amazed at how quickly they had arrived at her home.

* * *

Anko groaned as all of her senses were shunted awake simultaneously. She had been in a tranquil nothingness that now exploded into painful consciousness. Light glared viciously from the ceiling; sound—a vile buzzing noise— rang incessantly in her ears; and the smell of bleach and disinfectant curled her nose.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Kurenai said. She was sitting in the chair beside Anko's bed. They were in a small, white hospital room with a single open window. It was dark outside and a cool wind rustled the curtains.

Anko groaned in reply.

"How do you feel?"

"Like someone made me puke with her finger," Anko croaked. She winced at her dry throat and coughed.

"Got any water?"

Kurenai poured her a glass of water from the jug beside her then handed it to Anko. Anko swallowed the water in one big gulp then handed the glass back.

"Thanks."

The two fell into silence. This was unusual considering how much Anko loved to ramble. She was one of those people who couldn't deal with awkward silences and never stopped talking when she could help it. The absence of her voice was another hint towards her failing health.

"So, are you going to tell me what's wrong? Or am I going to have to worm it out of you?"

Anko turned her head to one side like she was ashamed. Kurenai took her hand and made Anko look at her.

"What's killing you?"

Naruto and the Third Hokage entered the room without knocking.

* * *

Kurenai Yuhi had Naruto up against an opposing wall before she realized what she was doing.

"What the fuck did you do to her?"

She stopped when she felt something cold and sharp against her throat. Anko was standing behind her in her hospital scrubs with the needle from her I.V against Kurenai's jugular.

"Let him go." This was a command, something Kurenai had never thought would escape Anko's lips.

Kurenai let go of Naruto and put her hands up, showing that she was unarmed. She couldn't believe that Anko, the woman who had been her best friend since they were Genin, had threatened her life. This revelation would have hurt Kurenai if she didn't have someone to blame.

"Stand down, Jonin Yuhi!" Sarutobi said. He was dressed in the white Kage coat that fell till his feet. The Kage hat hung low over his forehead, obscuring his eyes.

Kurenai let go of Naruto who, upon being released, took Anko's hand and led her back to bed.

"What you doing, brat?" she asked as Naruto had helped her back into bed.

Naruto took a kunai from the pouch on the back of his waist and slit his wrist. He put the wound to Anko's mouth. She resisted, letting the blood smear across her lips. Kurenai moved to stop him when it became clear that Anko didn't want it but the Hokage stopped her.

Anko resisted for a while longer then succumbed to her thirst and drank deeply, pressing the wound to her lips with both hands and sucking until her lips made squeaking noises against his skin. Kurenai watched in shock as Anko's cheeks filled out and her skin flushed with color. It was as if Naruto's blood was making her young again.

"What the fuck is happening here?"

Naruto shushed her then turned back to the Anko. She had fallen asleep.

"What did you do to her?" Kurenai said, keeping her voice low as to not wake Anko.

Naruto glared at her. "She's exhausted. She hasn't been taking her medicine; that, combined with the destructive habits she has developed recently, has led to her collapse."

"She developed those destructive habits to cope with whatever you have been doing to her!"

A chill wind whistled through the open window. It reminded Kurenai of the breeze that blew inward from the sea, spraying the beach with the scent of saltwater. The room began to smell like the ocean.

"And what are you accusing me of doing?

"I don't know. But I know that she's become sick since she contracted your _disease_! She doesn't go out anymore. She doesn't eat. She barely sleeps. All she does is drink and take painkillers to forget whatever it is that you've done to her! Kurenai whispered vehemently. She turned to the Sarutobi. "Hokage-sama, this is proof that Naruto is keeping the medication from her! Please, can't you see that he is hurting her?"

Sarutobi frowned.

"Naruto, what aren't you telling me?"

Kurenai couldn't keep from smirking victoriously.

Naruto looked hurt, and then his face turned to stone. "You are so easy to point fingers, Yuhi, but you forget it takes two to tango. Did you ever think that maybe she was the one that did something wrong? Or did you just assume that I was raping her?

"So you admit it!" Kurenai said.

"I admit that sex has something to do with it. But not with me," Naruto said coolly, "I can't tell you what she did because it isn't my right to tell, but you can ask her yourself when she wakes up. She'll be healthy enough to speak then. Now if you'll excuse me, I have other business to attend to. Do I have your leave, Hokage-sama?"

Sarutobi resisted the urge to flinch. "Yes, you may go."

Naruto disappeared with a gust of cool wind.

"Why did you let him go? He basically just confessed!" Kurenai said, hands spread like the messiah.

"Because we still don't know the facts. Anko isn't helpless; she could have come forward at any time but she didn't. She _defended_ him. That casts doubt on the whole situation. We will wait until Anko regains consciousness then we will hear her side of the story."

Kurenai wanted to argue but stopped when she saw the Hokage's face. He looked as if a close friend of his had just died.

"Are you okay, Hokage-sama?"

The old man smiled wearily. The crescent of his mouth formed deep canyons in his cheeks. "I'm fine, Kurenai. Just an old man remembering old memories."

The Hokage turned and left the hospital room before she could get another word in. Kurenai wondered if she had taken it too far then shrugged and took her seat beside Anko's bed. The smell of the ocean dissipated quickly.

* * *

Four figures were standing atop a building in the fading light. They were cloaked in ragged black cloth and each had a weapon upon their backs. One figure was much taller than the rest.

"Have you discovered anything?" the figure asked. It was a woman's voice.

"No, but there are several who reek of the Old Blood," one of the smaller figures said.

"We should keep watch, but no one makes a move until we have confirmation of their infection."

One of the smaller figures had a large wooden mace in his hands. It's handle was long and thin and the head of the weapon flared outward like the petals of a blooming flower. It had red stains on it. He embraced it like a lover.

"Soon, soon my dear. Soon I shall slake your thirst with abominable blood."

The other figures watched disapprovingly.

"We have really got to get him a girlfriend."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Do you feel like I am taking too long to produce new chapters? Was this easy to read?**

 **Also; FEED ME REVIEWS!**


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne.

* * *

Hinata and Rock Lee were standing a few meters apart, facing one another. Might Guy was between them.

"This is a Taijutsu only match. Any use of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu are strictly prohibited, and any attempt to use such will lead to immediate forfeiture. Do you understand?"

The Genin nodded. He sliced the air in front of him with a chopping motion.

"Begin!"

Lee disappeared. Hinata remained stationary, palms out, posture low. Lee appeared behind her, his leg pulled back in preparation for a kick. Hinata felt him before she saw him and bent backwards to let the kick slide over her and poked him under his left knee. Lee yelled in pain and jumped back. He landed with one jelly-like leg and almost fell over. He shook the numb appendage until he could feel it again.

"You are a most youthful opponent, Hinata-san!" he said. Lee bent over and pulled his orange leg warmers up to reveal weights strapped to his legs. He removed them and let them drop to the ground. They made small craters where they landed.

"So it means that I can go all out!"

Lee vanished again, his feet making small indentations from where they pushed off. This time, Hinata suffered a glancing blow, Lee's fist just missing her face. Lee was all around now, his feet leaving marks in the ground while his body whistled through the air. He tried to punch Hinata in the plexus; jumped over her with a flying kick; tried to elbow her chin; each time missing by a hair.

"You should stop this, Sensei, before Hinata gets hurt." Kiba said, his eyes darting around; unable to keep up with Lee's intense speed.

Kurenai didn't take her eyes off the match. "Do you have so little faith in her? You're obviously not seeing what I'm seeing."

"And what's that?"

Hinata answered his question by suddenly sticking her foot out. Lee couldn't react before his forward momentum sent him tripping over Hinata's extended leg. He spun in the air and hit the ground spinning, his body becoming a pinwheel of green and orange that ran from the dirt field straight into Might Guy, who had moved to intercept him. Lee crashed against his sensei with a thud. His green jumpsuit had several tears in it and one of his sandals had fallen off. His hair stood on split ends. He was unconscious.

"Winner, Hinata!" He said, not looking up from his dozing student. Lee was fine; he had been knocked out by the fall.

"Alright!" Kiba cheered. Kurenai clapped lightly; even Ten-ten quirked a brow in approval.

Naruto simply smiled.

Kiba approached Hinata as she was patting down her clothes. She was trying to get as much dust out of them as she could. She had to wear them for the rest of the day, and the last thing she wanted to do was run home and change.

"How did you do that?" Kiba asked.

"I'm assuming you mean trip Lee," Kiba nodded, "It was simple. Lee's advantage was that he was much faster than me. But I spar with Naruto every day, so I'm use to fighting someone faster than me. I had experience countering Lee's speed, and since Lee is so predictable, it was easy to lead him into a situation that allowed victory."

Kiba gave her a dull look. "In simple terms, please."

Hinata smiled and patted his cheek "I tricked him."

"Oh."

"Very clever, Hinata-san." Guy said.

"Wait, now I'm confused. How did you trick him?" Ten-ten asked.

"She memorized his attacks and lulled him into a false sense of security, which she capitalized on by using Lee's own speed against him," Guy said like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"English, please."

Guy sighed. "Lee's one key fault is that he is unoriginal in his techniques; he performs his Taijutsu to the letter, never once straying from what I have taught him. His attacks have a pattern to them, and if you can memorize or discern this pattern then you can foretell where he will strike from next."

"So she memorized his moves and then just waited until he tripped himself?"

"Yes."

Hinata cast a sideways glance to Kiba who nodded. She took her place in-between Naruto and Kurenai as Kiba walked to have his match with Ten-ten.

Guy noted this as another note in a disturbing pattern of behavior that made him worry for Team 8's future. It was clear that some rift had formed between Kurenai and her students. Something that she had done was driving her students away from her. And it seemed like Naruto was at the center of the problem. His teammates never left him alone. When one was training, the other would take their place between him and their sensei. They were protecting him.

Guy waited until Kiba and Tenten were well into their sparring match then grabbed Kurenai and pulled her to one side.

"Whatever you're doing, it has to stop," he said.

Kurenai identified his tone then replied chillingly: "And what do you think I'm doing, Guy-sensei?"

"I don't know! And I don't care to guess, but even you must see that whatever you're doing is driving your team away from you."

"What are you talking about?" Kurenai said, eyebrow quirked.

"You're a Jonin for Pete sake! Can't you see the way your students act when you are close? They block you from Naruto. When was the last time you were alone with him?"

Kurenai thought about her answer and couldn't remember the last time she had been alone with Naruto. It must have been before their return from Wave.

"I-I can't remember. So what?" Kurenai said, raising her chin..

"It means that something happened that caused your team to pick a side, and they chose Naruto."

Kurenai didn't reply.

"Do I have to take this to the Hokage?"

"No! No. You're right. I'll handle it," she said quickly.

"Good." Guy said. He walked back to the teams to announce Ten-ten the winner of the match. She had a kunai pressed to Kiba's throat.

The raven-haired woman looked back to Hinata and Naruto. The Hyuga princess was standing in front of Naruto. Kurenai bit her bottom lip. It was true; she had taken a chance with her team's trust and came out the loser; now it was affecting their teamwork.

The thought of reconciliation made her slightly sick but there was no use in holding a grudge. Anko would soon be conscious and her testimony would put Naruto behind bars, but she needed to make peace with her team, and she needed to get Naruto to help her. She had no chance at redemption without him.

"Naruto, could I speak to you for a moment?"

* * *

Hinata moved to accompany him but Kurenai stopped her.

"This is something between Naruto and I. Please wait here. I promise to return him in one piece," she said, smiling slightly. She kept the smile until she saw Hinata nod slightly, and then led Naruto into the trees.

"Is there something wrong, Kurenai-sensei?" Naruto asked innocently.

"Cut the bullshit, Naruto. We both know what this is about."

Naruto kept smiling but his eyes became chips of broken glass.

Kurenai sighed. This was not how she wanted to start this conversation.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For accusing you of raping my friend," she said. She saw Naruto's disbelieving look and took it as a staunch refusal of her apology. "Listen, Anko and I have been sisters since we were Genin. Then you appear. She doesn't meet me for drinks, she doesn't answer her phone, she barely eats; what was I supposed to think when you wouldn't, and still won't, tell me the truth? You say you want to help but you refuse to help me. So I made my conclusions, which I still stand by.

Naruto looked confused. "But didn't you just—"

"I'm saying that I am sorry I assumed the worst of you. I'm not saying I believe you, but I will not let it affect our team. So I propose that we develop a business relationship. When we are on missions or training, we are student and sensei, but when the missions are over, we are strangers. Is that acceptable?"

Naruto nodded sadly. He was so hoping that they would become friends when this was over, but it seemed that it wasn't to be.

"I understand, Sensei," Naruto said, bowing his head to her.

Kurenai nodded in return then led him back to her team.

"May I offer a bit of advice?" Naruto asked.

Kurenai turned.

"Tell her what you just told me. You just told me you're sisters, so getting the truth out of her shouldn't be too difficult for you."

Kurenai smiled despite herself.

Hinata cornered Naruto after training and demanded to know what Kurenai had done.

"Nothing, she just apologized," he said.

"For what?"

"For leaping before looking."

Hinata looked confused then shrugged and decided it was none of her business.

* * *

Ten-ten had Sakura's hand in hers and they both had grip on the kunai in Sakura's hand. Ten-ten guided Sakura through the different attacks that a kunai could be used for.

"Don't just think of a kunai as a throwing weapon. It has many uses and not just as a weapon either. It can be used to set traps, to gather firewood or as a crude hammer should you need one. The kunai is a universal weapon, one that provides a number of functions besides just killing. To truly master a kunai, you need to think of it as a whole weapon, not just something you throw."

Sakura was enthralled by Ten-ten's explanation. It was clear that her devotion to weapons went beyond just base obsession; weapons and the art of wielding them was what she lived by. Her enthusiasm about weapons flowed through Sakura. She had never thought of a kunai in such terms before, and to be suddenly shown this was like the moment your parents told you that the earth was round, and the sun was a star, and the moon wasn't made of cheese. It was the moment of epiphany you feel when something obvious is pointed out to you, and you suddenly see the world through new eyes; this one fact changing everything you thought you knew.

Ten-ten helped Sakura through the motions a few more times and then let go. Sakura faltered then continued, allowing muscle-memory to move her instead of thinking about it.

"Think of these as kata and practice them until you can do it as precisely as me."

Ten-ten took refuge under the shade and sat beside Naruto. They were on break now. Sakura had appeared after they had finished their own training and asked Naruto to teach her the proper use of kunai. Ten-ten had taken up her mentorship before Naruto had the opportunity to answer. Sakura, having seen Ten-ten's skill with the weapon, didn't argue.

"That girl's inspired."

Naruto nodded and kept his eyes on her.

"She'll catch up to us if she keeps going at this rate."

Naruto nodded again.

"Do you ever say anything?"

Naruto nodded again; much to Ten-ten's chagrin.

Sakura went through the movements for another hour before she joined them in the shade.

"Thank you very much, Ten-ten-san" She said, breathing hard. Her arms ached slightly but she was slowly getting use to the workload. Though her flagging energy levels were beginning to clue Naruto into a potential problem.

"Sakura, are you on a diet?"

"Oh yes, have you noticed?" Sakura said, striking a pose with hands on her hips.

"Huh? What did he say?" Ten-ten asked.

"Naruto asked if I was on a diet. Can you tell?"

Ten-ten did a double-take. "What did you say? A diet?"

"Yes."

"That's so stupid!"

Sakura took an inadvertent step backwards. "What do you mean?"

"Sakura, the reason you've been tiring so easily is because you're starving yourself! Where did you get the dumb idea that dieting was okay for a kunoichi!?" Ten-ten said. She was up on her feet and standing within an inch of Sakura's face as she said this.

"But, I have to keep up my figure for Sasuke-k—"

"For what?! Are you telling me that all your hard work is for some boy who probably doesn't remember your name?!"

Naruto understood Ten-ten distress. She had worked hard to become a capable member of Team Guy, and to see Sakura squander her potential because of a boy was near blasphemy.

"You may as well quit being a Kunoichi if all you want to be is some bastard's housewife!"

Sakura decked Ten-ten in the jaw, sending her to the floor..

"Don't you dare tell me what I want to be! I'm a Kunoichi as much as you are! And I won't be talked down to by Neji's fangirl!"

Ten-ten was on her feet and at Sakura's throat before she could react.

"Then why don't you start acting like a Kunoichi?!" she yelled, blood dripping down the side of her mouth. "And by the way—"

Ten-ten punched Sakura in the stomach then drove a foot into her plexus, sending her to the floor. Sakura stood up and charged. The two were soon all fisticuffs and grunting noises. Naruto didn't interfere. There were some things that were better settled with fists; that and he did not want to get in-between them.

"What's going on here?" Kiba asked. He and Lee were returning from their training session; they had challenged each other to see who could do more pull-ups.

"Sakura and Ten-ten are resolving some differences," Naruto said.

"Should we stop them?" Kiba asked.

"Are you going to try and stop it?"

Kiba winced at the sound of Sakura's nose crunching against Ten-ten's knee.

"Nope."

* * *

Their fight lasted ten minutes and left both girls nursing their wounds in the shade. Sakura had a broken nose and a cut just above her left eye. Her lower jaw was beginning to swell. Ten-ten sported a few less bruises but her right eye had a dark purple crescent underneath it, and her bottom lip was split in two. They sat beside each other; both staring ahead. They didn't speak.

Kiba approached them cautiously.

"Ten-ten-san? Do you think you could show me how to use kunai properly?"

She smiled and nodded.

"Tomorrow. And only if you call me Ten-chan from now on."

Kiba blushed then retreated with a faint word that sounded like 'okay'.

The girls giggled at him as he left.

* * *

"Smooth," Naruto said, when Kiba returned.

"Shut up."

* * *

The sun was waning when the teams decided to end training that day. The sky was turning a brilliant shade of orange.

"That was a productive day of training!" Guy said, his voice even louder in the dusky air. "We will meet here tomorrow at 9 o'clock! You are welcome to join us, Haruno-san."

Sakura smiled at being acknowledged and said that she would be glad to join them.

"Uzumaki!"

The teams turned to see Hyuga Neji approaching. He had one arm wrapped around his midsection as he walked. Naruto didn't need the Byakugan to know that his chest was bound with bandages.

"Neji, what are you doing out of the hospital?" Guy asked.

"I've come for training. I want to challenge Uzumaki to another sparring match."

"Are you stupid? You can barely stand, let alone walk! You should be back in bed!" Ten-ten said. She took Neji by the arm but he shook free of her grip.

"Fight me, Uzumaki!" This time he was close enough for Naruto to see his eyes; they were murky pools of silver like the insides of rotten oysters.

"Enough, Neji! It's time you went back to bed." Guy commanded in the same bass he had used when Neji had first attacked Naruto. He grabbed Neji by the arm and began to lead him away.

"Damn you, Uzumaki! I swear I'll get you! I swear on my father's grave!" This last part faded into the wind as the two disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

"What does he mean? Why does he think you killed his father? You were probably three when his father died." Ten-ten asked, frowning. She had never seen Neji behave this way; perhaps his claims had some weight to them.

"I told you. We were both there when his father was killed and he blames us for his death." Hinata said. She was staring in the direction that Neji had vanished in.

"There's something you're not telling us." Ten-ten crossed her arms over her chest. "If it has something to do with Neji then it's our business too. We're his team."

Hinata flinched then looked away. Ten-ten could see her discomfort at the subject but pressed on. "We need to able to trust one another if we want to make this training work."

Naruto and Kiba stepped in front of her. The message was clear: Leave this alone.

"Fine. Let's go, Lee." Ten-ten said. The remaining members of Team Guy left.

Kurenai rubbed her temples. Another hitch in the cogs. Wonderful.

* * *

Anko regained consciousness during the third day of her convalescence. She sat up, eyes squinting in the harsh light, flexed her shoulders and heard her spine crack. She groaned and fell back against her pillows.

"You having a good time?" Kurenai asked, smiling.

"Yeah." Anko said. She spied the glass of water beside her and began to drink.

"Is Naruto molesting you?"

Anko choked and coughed water onto her lap. She coughed again to clear her windpipe then looked incredulously at Kurenai..

"What!?"

"Is Naruto molesting you?" Kurenai asked calmly.

"What? No! He's never touched me!" Anko cried, her cheeks going bright red. "Where would you get the stupid idea that he was molesting me?! He's thirteen years old! If anything, I would be molesting him!"

"And you're not?"

"No! God, no!"

"You don't need to yell."

"Yes, I do! He is not molesting me!"

Kurenai deflated slightly. Now she owed Naruto a real apology. Damn.

"Then what's wrong?"

Anko quieted.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't bullshit me, Anko!" Kurenai exploded. Anko leaned back in her seat, shocked that Kurenai would yell at her

"You don't sleep! You barely eat! And I just found you nearly comatose from a drug overdose! Something's eating away at you and you won't let anyone help you! Please, whatever it is, please let us help you!"

Anko's face quivered.

"You flinch whenever I say his name! Yet you say he hasn't been molesting you! Then what did he do? What's hurting you?" Kurenai pleaded. She grasped Anko's hand and made her look at her. Kurenai's cheeks were shiny with tears.

"Okay. You want to break me down? Is that what you wanna do?" Anko's face scrunched. "You wanna break me down? Fine. I was the one. It was me, okay!? I did it! I'm the one!" Anko tried to keep her face straight and failed. She cried in deep, wrenching sobs that were so fierce that a nurse came to check on them. Kurenai held her until she stopped crying, and continued to hold her as Anko explained what had happened, and worse, what was still happening.

* * *

"Hyuga Neji, we have summoned you here to discuss your actions against Uzumaki Naruto," the Third said. His triangular hat sat menacingly over his forehead. It turned his eyes into black crescents.

Team 8 and Guy were standing in the Hokage's office with their backs straights and their arms at their sides. They were all facing the Third, but no one was looking directly at him; instead they stared into the distance just above his head. Neji was in front of the others and closest to the Hokage. Guy had pleaded his case and convinced the Third to settle this dispute outside the Shinobi Council's knowledge. This was something that should be settled between teams.

The Third inspected the two teams. They were standing apart with Ten-ten, Rock Lee and Guy on Neji's left and Team 8 on the right. He could see that Neji's teammate's feet were pointed to the left, away from Team 8. Neji's actions had caused some sort of rift to grow between the teams. Hinata was frowning slightly. She clearly didn't want to be here.

Naruto remained unshakable.

Kurenai seemed at attention though there were slight wrinkles under her eyes.

Ten-ten and Rock Lee took remote glances at the other team. They were particularly interested in Naruto.

"You have blatantly attacked one of your fellow Konoha-nin and almost killed him. I would have you tried in front of the Shinobi Council for such an offense, but your sensei happens to be one of my most trusted shinobi and has begged me to let you plead your case," the Third said, "Let me make this clear: you will be punished for transgressions. If you were anyone else, I would have had you tried as an adult and sentenced you to execution!"

Neji did himself justice by reducing what would have been a shudder to a slight twitch.

"Now I have heard that you accused Uzumaki Naruto of killing your father."

Neji's face grew impassive. "Yes."

"And you are aware that Naruto was only 3 years old when your father died?"

"My father was murdered," Neji said. "Uzumaki Naruto murdered him."

"And you were a witness to the crime?"

"No."

"So how do you know that Naruto murdered him?"

"Because Hiashi-sama told me that my father was killed because of the actions of Uzumaki Naruto."

Ten-ten and Rock Lee shifted their gaze to the back of Naruto's head.

"And how do you assume that Naruto killed him?"

"If someone were to create the circumstances where another person is killed, is that not murder?"

The Third nodded.

"How did Naruto orchestrate your father's death?"

Neji turned to look at Hinata. "It would mean revealing a clan secret in the presence of my team and Team 8."

"Please proceed. You intended to tell it anyway."

"Hinata-sama was captured by a Kumo-nin during peace talks with Konoha. Her father and mine pursued him but they couldn't find him. They had almost given up hope until they heard a tiny scream in the distance. Uzumaki Naruto had accidently stumbled upon the Kumo-nin and Hinata's father killed him while he was distracted."

"But that means Naruto saved Hinata. What does that have to do with your dad's death?" Ten-ten said..

"Because the Kumo-nin was the ambassador for Kumogakure," Neji said. His voice remained even and clear. "He was an official, and his death at the hands of a Hyuga would have lead to an all-out war with Kumogakure. But Kumo gave them an ultimatum: they could either go to war, or they could send them the corpse of the man who killed their ambassador.

"But Hinata's dad is alive. Isn't he the one that should have been killed?" Kiba asked.

"Yes. He did kill the ambassador. But they had no proof. No one had seen the man kidnap Hinata, and no one had seen him carrying her away. Save for Naruto."

"Neji, you can-" Hinata said

"It is my turn to speak!"

Hinata bit her lip and stepped back.

"There was a council meeting held about this dilemma, and they decided to bring out the only witness they had to identify the Kumo-nin's killer. Naruto."

"They asked Naruto to point out the man who killed the Kumo-nin. Hiashi-sama and my father were identical twins. And Naruto pointed to my father and that was the end of it. My father was sentenced to death and his corpse was sent to Kumo."

"An innocent man was killed because a stupid child picked someone without any thought! And my father was killed because of it! He killed my father!" Neji roared, slamming his hands down onto the Hokage's desk.

Silence blanketed the room..

"Naruto, Hinata, is this true?"

Hinata seemed too devastated to speak. She had just moved forward and pulled Naruto close to her. His head was still turned down. He nodded for her.

"What? You sentenced his father to death on the basis of a 3-year old's testimony?!"

"I cannot believe that Naruto-kun could be so unyouthful!"

"Hey, how dare you talk about Naruto like that? He was 3 years old, of course he could have gotten it wrong!"

"How can you defend him?! He sentenced a man to death on a guess!"

"He was 3 years old!"

Kurenai's temples throbbed and she resisted the urge to massage them, even with the pressure building behind her eyes.

Guy observed the team's interactions with an abysmal look on his face. As if he were deciding on how to react.

The Hokage kept quiet and watched until the two teams were threatening one another with fists and promises of violence. Naruto and Hinata were in the back, each together in their own world. Kiba was pointing wildly and arguing with the Ten-ten and Rock Lee, each sporting looks of outrage.

"Enough," the Third said. This one word halted whatever was going on, and in ten seconds, the teams were standing at attention once again.

"Now that we have the full story, I can see how you would be willing to kill Naruto; but this doesn't give you the right to try and kill him."

"Hyuga Neji, since you have admitted to attacking a fellow nin, I will now cast judgement."

The teams stood slightly straighter. This was it.

"Given all the evidence and witness testimonies, I would be well within reason to sentence you to execution." Neji balked, his eyes bulging without aid of the Byakugan. Ten-ten and Rock Lee lurched forward as if to protect Neji from the Hokage, but were stopped when Guy clamped his hands on their shoulders. They struggled but his grip rooted them.

Hinata had come out of her reverie just in time to hear the Hokage's judgement. She swallowed and approached the Hokage.

"Please, Hokage-sama, you can't-"

"Please let me finish, Genin Hyuga." His cold tone made her flinch. "As I was saying before I was interrupted," he cast a glance at Hinata, whose cheeks dusted with color, "I would be well within reason to sentence you to death, but since Naruto has no visible injuries, coupled with Guy's testimony, I will commute your sentence."

Team Guy sighed in relief. Hinata visibly relaxed. Neji shook his head slightly then stared into the Hokage's eyes.

"But on the following conditions: first, you are as of now on house arrest until further notice; second, you will be added to the shinobi watchlist and are to be subjected to full psychological evaluations every three months in the foreseeable future. If it should be hinted that you are psychologically unfit then I will revoke your shinobi license indefinitely. And finally, you will offer an official apology towards Uzumaki Naruto. Now."

Neji went cold. "Hai, Hokage-sama." Neji turned abruptly and folded at the waist like a chair. "I," he swallowed as if something were lodged in his throat, "am sorry, Uzumaki-san." He turned away from Naruto on his heel and stared at the Hokage. The room sighed in unconscious relief. Kiba recognized that Neji would rather have attacked Naruto in front of the Hokage than apologize.

"May I leave Hokage-sama?"

The Third nodded. Teams 8 and Guy left without another word.

* * *

Naruto had been followed again, and had slipped into one the alleys nearby then scaled the side of the building, and was now hanging on the edge of the roof by his fingertips. It was a young boy or girl dressed in black clothes; a dark hood was pulled over his/her head. He/she was peering over the side of the building, facing away from the alley. The figure had his/her face to the sky. He was smelling the air.

Naruto could smell him as well. He smelled like wolves and blood and disease.

Naruto hoisted himself onto the roof, crept up behind the figure and slit his throat. The figure turned and tried to grab him but he ducked and sliced across the neck again, beheading his assailant. The head hit the rooftop with a wet thud and rolled off the edge into the dark alley. Naruto sighed as the neck turned to a geyser and rained cold blood on him. He wiped it from his eyes, picked up the corpse and followed the severed head into the alley.

He said a childhood rhyme as he slipped over the edge:

"Good food, good meat. Good god, let's eat."

* * *

Later that same night a woman would peer into the alley and scream as she saw the disemboweled corpse hanging from his intestines under the eaves of one of the buildings. This was just another notch in the Cannibal's belt. The only thing that stood out about this case was that it was a foreigner who had been killed. The Hokage had feared retribution from one of the neighboring villages, but no one stepped forward to claim the body. They buried it in an unmarked grave. They could not find the head.

* * *

Naruto was in his apartment. There were clothes and garbage peppered across the floor. Empty bowls of instant ramen were heaped in the garbage can. The sink was overflowing with dirty dishes. Naruto sat on a torn up couch and chewed thoughtfully. The dilapidation of his apartment wasn't because he was untidy, or because he couldn't afford a better apartment; he just didn't spend enough time there to clean it. It wasn't his home.

He was sitting in front of a severed head. It had been bisected horizontally and the brains bloomed through the top of the skull. The head acted as the serving bowl. Naruto spooned the cool, grey brains into his mouth and chewed. It squeaked between his teeth. Naruto saw the boy's memories filter through his thoughts as he ate. He took another spoonful. There were images, traces of a woman's lilting voice, the smell of blood; Naruto could see three other figures dressed in black, one woman and two children. And they were looking for something. A phrase ghosted at the surface of his mind:

"…Child…of…Blood…"

Naruto stopped eating and pushed the brains away. They knew what he was.

* * *

"So Malcolm is dead." The woman said. They were in a hotel apartment with two untouched beds. They rarely slept.

"Yes. He got careless and was found out. They say the attacker took his head."

"Who cares? That blasphemer had no right to be called one of us anyway."

"Enough. No matter how inconsequential Malcolm was, we still needed him for the upcoming exams. This creates a problem," the woman said.

"Who shall we call to replace him?"

"Vincent."

"Damn! Must we have another godless cretin join us?"

"He's the closest, and we need assistance."

The woman walked over to the closet and extracted the bloodstained, wooden mace and the iron truncheon. She tossed the weapons to their users.

"The child of blood knows that we are here; there is no time for subtlety. Tonight we hunt."

"Finally!" the figure with the iron truncheon said. The end of the weapon flickered with blue sparks of electricity.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Feed me reviews! Nom nom nom!  
**


	10. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne**

The Hunts were created to kill beasts. Those who partook in the Hunts were bathed in the blood of beasts and began to crave it. So the Hunts went on, not to slay beasts, but in order to quench the hunter's thirst. Avarice turned desperate men into secret blood addicts. The Hunts became battle royales where Hunters killed both beasts and each other for another taste of that intoxicating ichor.

The addiction to blood was one of three reasons why the Uzumaki are now extinct.

* * *

At night, Konoha became a mirror; turning the town from warm, sunbaked buildings into a sheet of black stone with small mountains growing from the dark earth. And the lights, some made by candles, others by neon signs, some the warm eyes of the homes of Konoha folk, were peppered through the dark geography. Those lights were not enough to illuminate the darkest parts of the village; the back alleys, the side corridors, the fenced-off cages with signs that depict a dog and the word 'Beware!'. Step into a dark alley in Konoha and you could end up in a place you have never been before. At night, Konoha became a carnival maze.

That's why Ninja preferred to leaping over the rooftops. During the night, trained assassins sped by one another on their way home or to work. Those below usually didn't notice what was going on above their heads, or that people would suddenly appear from dark corners or alleys. This was how the Hunters could search without being discovered. They simply moved too quickly to be noticed.

Four figures in black, three much shorter than the fourth, stood above Konoha General Hospital.

"Someone here stinks with the blood." One of the smaller figures said. They were all in black hoods that covered their faces and obscured gender. Red hair spilled from under one hood and hung still in the night air.

"We must be discreet. Our prey may know of our presence, but it cannot be everywhere at once. If we can capture whoever is infected, then we can lure the Child of Blood to us."

"I do not understand why we simply don't kill this wretch. Let us send a message to the abomination."

"Don't be a fool, Xavier. We need to take it by surprize. On our terms. If we kill this person, then our prey may flee. No. We need bait."

The Hunter with the red hair removed her hood. "Must we talk now? I'm tired of Xavier's ramblings. Let's go."

"And who are you to judge me, wench? It is odious enough that I must suffer this heathen," he gestured to the remaining team member, "and this puppet," he pointed to the taller figure, "I do not need any unwarranted arrogance from our Master's favourite choir girl!"

"Do we have a problem? We can settle this right now and I can break that precious wooden dildo of yours!"

"You dare deface the holy relic?! I shall bathe in your blood!"

The tallest figure appeared between the two and placed a hand on each of their throats. "Must I remind you that this is a mission sent directly from Master? Or would you like to explain to her how your arrogance caused our failure?" Her grip on their throats tightened, choking them. "Or must I just kill you now and complete the mission myself?" The other Hunters tried not to tremble. The woman's voice was devoid of all reason and emotion; and they knew she would eviscerate them on the spot without a moment's hesitation, as if she were folding laundry.

"Shall we proceed?"

The girl with the red hair and the other hooded figures nodded instinctively.

"Thank you."

* * *

Disease has a smell. Like bleach and ammonia, it has solitary odour that drives its way through the olfactory system like a sword through flesh. It is the stink of rotting fruit and blood and sweat. Go to old hospital rooms and you can smell it underneath the disinfectant; go to old missionaries and you can smell it under the floorboards; go to mass graves and smell it under the earth. Disease soaks itself into these places and the smell hangs stagnant for centuries.

It was the smell of disease that led Naruto back to Anko's hospital room. It was empty and still, as sterile as a disinfected wound. The bed sheets lay undisturbed. The mirror was clean. The floor was polished spotless. And that smell of disease, like the smell of rotting flesh, hung subtly under the harsh sting of bleach.

A breeze carrying the salt smell of the sea stalked through the dark streets of Konoha. The ocean was worlds away.

* * *

Training Ground #9 was divided. Team 8 trained on the grass under the trees and Team Guy trained on the dirt field. Lee and Ten-ten cast occasional glances at their partnered team, specifically at the silent blond boy who seemed to be the center of everyone's attention. Might Guy and Kurenai Yuhi stood together. Kurenai shook her head.

"Neji has completely destroyed their chemistry. Now they won't even face one another."

Guy, he of the bob hair and green tights, grimaced in agreement.

"Not entirely though. Both Lee and Ten-ten are happy to keep working with Hinata-san and Kiba-san but…"

"But those two won't let Naruto be excluded. They'll stand against anyone for him, even me."

Guy didn't comment on her last remark but nodded.

"It seems our cooperative training is at an end."

"Unfortunately."

* * *

Naruto motioned for his teammates to approach.

"I think it would be best if I left."

"What are you talking about?" Kiba said, "Is this about them?"

"They won't train with us if I'm here. I will leave and you two can go on training with Team Guy."

Hinata grabbed his shoulder to restrain him. "No. You are our teammate. If they have a problem with you, then they have a problem with us."

"Hinata's right. We're Team 8; they either train with all of us or with none of us."

Naruto smiled sadly. "Thank you."

Kurenai appeared from her place beside Guy. "Hello everyone."

The team greeted her. Kurenai noted with some pride that neither Kiba nor Hinata shifted in front of Naruto.

"Listen. I think you all agree with me when I say that our cooperative training with Team Guy seems to have come to an end."

"Yeah. It's too bad. I just started my training with Ten-chan."

Kurenai quirked her left brow. "Ten-chan?"

Kiba felt his cheeks catch alight. "Y-yeah, she told me that's what I have call her when we're training."

"Kiba and Ten-chan sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g." Hinata said, smiling.

"Shut up!"

* * *

Ten-ten heard Kiba mention her name and smiled. "Seems like someone is talking about me."

"They must be discussing a new training regimen. Maybe something that involves running around the village! That would be most youthful!"

"Shut up, Lee."

* * *

"Umm, Naruto-san, can I ask you something?" Sakura said. The sky was now a great palette of red and orange with violet clouds. Sakura no longer looked like a porcelain doll. Her skin had taken to the sun as a flower to rain and she now bore a deep, healthy tan that made her look almost golden in the dusk light. The skin above her cheeks and the bridge of her nose were wind-chafed and flush with color. The bandages around her lower arms had dark brown patterns running from her elbows to the back of her hands.

Naruto nodded and gestured for her to sit.

She took her seat beside him and said: "Did something happen between you guys? You're not training with Lee and Ten-chan anymore."

Naruto nodded sadly. "Yes, Lee and Ten-ten refuse to train with me anymore.

"Why?" Sakura asked, tilting her head to one side.

"Because I made a mistake when I was young, and it hurt one of their friends."

"What did you do?"

"I lied."

Kurenai and Guy gathered their teams together.

"There is only one week left before the Chunin Exams start," Guy said, "And it is time for us to return to our own respective training. Please thank Team 8 for their time."

"Thanks." Ten-ten said.

"Thank you very much, Hinata-san! Thank you very much, Kiba-san!" Rock Lee said, bowing to each of them. They only nodded at Naruto, who nodded back.

"Say thank you as well," Kurenai said.

"Thanks."

"Thank you."

"Yes. This was a most youthful experience! We should do it again after the exams! Now, everyone, training is over for today! Dismissed!" Guy said. There were tears coming down his cheeks in sheets of water.

"That was a most youthful speech!" Lee said, crying too. The two embraced each other

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

"Lee!"

"Guy-sensei!"

Ten-ten turned on her heel. "Run!"

"What for?" Kiba asked.

"Just run!" Ten-ten bolted, disappearing into the trees.

It took only a glimpse of the sunset appearing behind the two weeping men to send Team 8 and company running.

* * *

Naruto turned the world on it's head with blink of an eye. The moon, as round and pale as an egg, bled crimson, a gigantic gaping wound in the purple sky. The clouds surrounded it like a celestial halo. The land beneath his feet was black and crumbled; many of the buildings buried in their own rubble or burning like bonfires. In the distance, a giant red fox with nine tails howled madly at the moon. Yet all was still. The red fury was frozen and silent, the buildings were caught mid-fall, and the fires were glowing statues. This was a single moment that stretched on forever.

"Have I ever told you that this was the happiest and saddest moment of my life?"

The woman with the red hair and the swollen, bleeding belly hugged him from behind. "Even though that monster was killing everyone, even though the citizens were screaming, even though they had opened my belly to save you; seeing you for the first time was the happiest moment of my life. You were the most beautiful thing I had ever father and all the doctor's screamed, but I barely heard them. All I could see or hear or feel was you. You became my entire world. Then I felt my hands grow slack and my arms go numb. When my fingers slipped from your face, I realised that I wouldn't survive the birthing. And the thought that I would never see you again tore at my soul."

She bent down and pressed cold lips to the top of his head.

"I begged for some infinite being to let me live, so that I could raise you and love you and hold you. But then you slipped from my fingers. It was only by the Great Mother's will that your father saved you. The last thing I saw was him carrying you away from me."

She swept her hand over the ravaged village caught in time.

"That was the saddest moment of my life."

Naruto leaned into her embrace and listened. When he was sure she was finished speaking, he said:

"They've found me."

Her grip on him tightened.

"Have they tried anything yet?"

"No, but they took her."

"Who?"

Naruto turned to face her, unaffected by the blood dripping down from her open stomach.

"Her."

Mother grimaced.

"What are you going to do to them?"

Three blue eyes became iridescent, turning into a kaleidoscope of green and white over the blackness of space. Tiny stars erupted over the multicolored nebula. His eyes became mirrors of the cosmos.

"Everything."

* * *

Anko screamed as they fumbled at her mind like a virgin at a pantygirdle, tearing at the fabric of her consciousness for answers. She twisted, tried to free herself, felt her arms betray her then screamed in futility. They were searching for the blond boy. Every time they went feeling through her mind, her thoughts drifted to memories of him; and every time she drifted they would tear the memories out from underneath her. They wanted him, needed him; and they would tear her apart to get to him.

In-between sessions of torture, she thought she might tell them all that she knew of him and be released from her pain, but her mind revolted at the idea. This blond boy was special to her. When she saw him, she felt her will renew and her psyche strengthen against their assault. But she sometimes felt sad. She knew she had harmed him, and the pain she saw in his eyes shamed her. At these times she welcomed the agony, and laughed at her own destruction.

The only thing that kept her sane was the thought that if she survived, then she might apologize. If she lived, then she would go on her knees before him and beg with cupped hands for his forgiveness. If she lived, she would confess to him like he was the Messiah. If she lived, then she would love him.

They came again with the claws of beasts, clutching at her sanity. Blue-stained lips stretched wide to scream.

* * *

Sakura felt her jaw creak against the blow then retaliated with an uppercut that snapped Naruto's head back. They were training again; the setting sun casting long shadows at their feet. Sakura stood with both hands up to her face and her chin pointed at her chest. Naruto jabbed and connected with her bronze forehead. His fist made a thumping noise at the hard part of her skull. Sakura smiled and moved forward, ducking under and coming up with her left hand poised to connect with his chin. Naruto shifted to the left, let her fist pass by, and landed a blow on her stomach that lifted her off her feet. Sakura emptied all the air from her lungs as his knuckles struck her plexus, allowing her body to arch back and absorb the impact. Her right hand came in a tight circle and missed Naruto's face. Two more swift blows to the body sent Sakura stumbling.

"Enough," Naruto said, holding up one hand.

Sakura bowed her head. "Dammit!"

She clasped her hands together and squeezed until her knuckles were pale.

"Dammit! Dammit! Dammit!"

Naruto frowned.

"Even after three weeks of training...even after working my ass off...I still can't keep up," she said. "Ten-ten was right. I should just be someone's housewife!" Twin drops of water slid down her nose and soaked the ground beneath her face. She looked up just in time to avoid Naruto's haymaker.

"Hey! What the hell was that!?" she said, "I was having a moment! What is wrong with you!?"

Naruto smiled at her sudden mood swing.

"What did you just do?"

"I just avoided getting clocked in a moment of emotional weakness!" Sakura's chest heaved as she spoke.

"And do you think that you could have done that three weeks ago?"

Sakura deflated as her outrage turned to embarrassment. "I guess not."

"And do you think you could hit me three weeks ago?"

"No."

"So you have been improving."

She smiled. "Yes, I have improved."

"Good," Naruto said. He reached behind his back and produced a pair of black leather gloves.

"These are for you."

Sakura took them and tried them on. They fit like a second skin.

"Thank you, Naruto," she said, flexing her hands. She turned them over and saw that there were small symbols indented in the fingertips. Sakura was mystified. She wondered when he had these made. They were obviously tailor-made and must have taken some time. Had he been planning to train her since they came back from Wave? Could he have known that she would come to him?"

"There's one more thing I want to give you, but you can choose not to take it."

"Why wouldn't I want your other gift?" she said, frowning.

"It's a dangerous gift; something I wouldn't be offering you if I had another choice," he said, eyes glazing to chips of glass.

Sakura's spine trembled at his tone. "What is it?"

"A rune, like the one in your palm, but more powerful, and infinitely more dangerous."

"How could symbols painted on my skin be dangerous?"

Naruto frowned. He hadn't meant to divulge such information, but he couldn't offer her this without making her fully aware of the consequences.

"My runes are not symbols, they leave an imprint upon you very mind."

"What?"

"Close your eyes and visualize the "Eye" rune upon your hand."

Sakura hesitated then did what she was told. The image popped instantly through the river of her thoughts; so vivid that she felt she could reach for it and grasp it with both hands. It was the drawing of a great, glowing star with an unblinking eye in the center. She held out a hand to touch it and was thrown backwards. Sakura stumbled awake and gasped; she had been holding her breath. She looked at Naruto.

"What was that?"

"That was my rune. It is, for lack of a better word, etched into your mind."

"So that's how you're talking to me? You're sending your thoughts directly into my mind?"

Naruto nodded.

"I'm not sure I like the idea of you scratching around inside my head." she said, trying not to be disturbed by the thought that Naruto was inside her mind.

"Sakura, do you think so little of me to assume that I would interfere with your own thoughts?" Naruto crossed his hands over his chest and puffed out his bottom lip, milking his innocent features for all that they were worth.

"No! No! I mean...I don't think that!" Sakura said, waving her hands, "I mean, I've read up on mind-reading techniques before, and I don't like the idea of you reading my mind, not that I think you would!"

Naruto smiled at Sakura's distress.

"Please, don't be concerned. My rune only projects _MY_ thoughts into your mind. It's like a one-way radio."

"Oh." Sakura became silent for a moment, carefully constructing her next question.

"So what's so dangerous about this new rune?"

Naruto's smile faded slightly.

"This rune was used once before. It failed to do what it was intended to, though it did succeed in other ways."

"How did it fail?"

"It was supposed to control monsters."

"How did it succeed?"

"It made the monster."

Sakura stiffened. "W-why would you want to give me something that would turn me into a monster?"

"Because I believe that you are the only one who can properly control it."

"Why not give it to Kiba or Hinata? They're your teammates."

"Kiba doesn't have the strength of will that you do. Hinata is your equal in terms of sheer will, but her lust for power and control would weaken her against the rune's lure."

Sakura floundered. She felt like she was being sucked into a mudpit. What could Naruto be thinking? Why would he want to shove this responsibility on her? What if she couldn't do it? What if she became a monster? Would Naruto have to kill her?

"How can you be so sure that I can handle it? Hinata is a hundred of times stronger than me."

Naruto grasped her hands and made her look into his beautiful icy eyes. "Sakura, do you think that I would offer you this burden if I thought you couldn't bear it?"

Sakura's eyes burned, though not out of fear. She was amazed and humbled by his faith in her. She had never been very confident and had been forcing herself during her arguments with Ino, and the longer she continued, the louder she spoke; not because she was trying to make a point, but to hide the trembling of her voice.

Naruto was telling her that she was strong. He was saying that she was the only one who could bear this burden. At that moment, with her hands in his and his blue eyes imploring, she knew she would kill for him if he asked.

"Okay. I'll do it." Sakura whispered, hands trembling.

"Are you sure? It could kill you, or worse."

Sakura locked eyes with him, unflinching. "Do it."

A puff of smoke erupted in his hands then cleared to revealed a small brand. It was a thin rod about the length of his forearm with an intricate symbol on the end that resembled a beast's claw.

"Is this going to hurt?"

He motioned her to sit and brushed the hair from her forehead.

"Yes."

Naruto thrust the brand against her forehead. There was a fine hissing noise like flesh searing under hot metal, which was then drowned by Sakura's screaming.

* * *

The faint salt breeze reminded Kakashi of when Naruto had massacred Gato's men. He had only been there for a few moments, but he remembered the way Naruto had risen from the ground; the deep blue of his eyes catching fire; and then the smell of the saltwater. He had originally thought that it was just chakra exhaustion and adrenaline clouding his senses. Now that the salt smell had returned, he could almost see Naruto's eyes glowing like winter lanterns. Kakashi had dismissed the memory when he saw the blond speeding by him. A sudden urge to satisfy his curiosity swept over Kakashi. He moved to intercept Naruto.

Naruto came to rest on the edge of a small building. The street beneath his feet was lit with neon lights. Kakashi stopped behind him. Naruto's front was lit but his back was in the dark. He looked like he was walking out of a dark tunnel into a bright light.

"Hello, Naruto-chan, what are you doing out so late? Shouldn't you be in bed right now?" Kakashi said, one eye somehow smiling while the rest of his face remained still under his mask. Naruto briefly wondered how Kakashi could independently move his individual features, and if he could apply this technique himself. He dismissed the idea. He didn't plan on wearing a mask. He was too pretty.

"Do you have somewhere you need to be?"

Naruto studied Kakashi. He hadn't bothered to look at the man when he was bedridden, and he hadn't been paying much attention to him when killing Gato's men, but now he had a moment to study the man. He was tall and thin with silver hair growing like grass from his scalp. He had a mask hiding the lower half of his face and his left eye. He was standing at a fair distance yet Naruto could see that he was leaning slightly away from him. Blue eyes flicked down and saw that Kakashi's feet were pointing slightly to the left, as if he were preparing to leave even though he had initiated the conversation.

"You seem to be alone. What's a Genin doing running around in the middle of the night?"

Naruto tilted his head and reached into his back pouch. Kakashi tensed. Naruto's hand appeared again, this time with a small notebook and pen. He scribbled something on one of the pages, tore it out and handed it to Kakashi.

"I'm on my way home," it said.

"And you can't talk? You're teammates seem to understand you perfectly. I'm also aware that you've taken to one of my students, and she doesn't seem to have any problems communicating with you. Why don't you speak?"

Naruto wrote another note and handed it over.

"I'm mute. I use my face to talk," it said.

Kakashi suddenly felt like grabbing the Genin and shaking him until he spoke. His hands twitched. Naruto scribbled one more note then dove into the dark alley beside them. Kakashi snatched it, leapt after him, landed, and turned to confront Naruto. The alley was empty.

"Shit," he said.

Kakashi unfolded the note.

It said: "I don't talk to strangers."

* * *

Sakura groaned as she awoke and brought her left hand up to touch her face. It was unmarked. She stood. It was night now, which meant she must have lost consciousness when Naruto burned her. There was a small basket on the ground nearby. She walked over, unwrapped the cloth that was covering its contents, then stared inquisitively. There was only one item inside: a vial of blood. Sakura examined it. It had no label. She stared at it's contents and saw something shimmer inside the blood, something like night sky. She turned it around again, but the shimmer was gone.

Sakura crouched and examined the basket again. She pulled the cover off and felt in the base of basket. There was a brief crunching noise as her hand grabbed a piece of paper.

It said, "Drink this when the time comes. You'll know when."

A normal person would have balked at the vague message but Sakura merely nodded. Naruto had faith that she would know, so she took it as truth. She would know because Naruto believed that she would know. Sakura crammed the note into a ball and let it fall away. She held onto the vial.

Naruto came to rest on one of the gigantic branches in the Forest of Death and felt his jaw lock up. Anko was below him in a small clearing. She was pinned against one of the giant trees and hung from knives that had been thrust through her hands and feet. They had crucified her.

He dropped down and rushed forward to release her; and barely ducked under the huge wooden mace swinging towards his face. He came up, avoiding another attacker wielding a dull cudgel covered in blue sparks, and elbowed its wielder in her ribs, breaking two of the them. Naruto vaulted over his attackers, unsheathed the Blades of Mercy and dealt two blows across their shoulders. The wielder of the crackling cudgel cursed. It was a girl. The other with the wooden mace remained silent and rotated his injured shoulder.

"Dammit, Xavier! How the hell did you miss? He was running right for you!"

"Silence, Wench," Xavier said, "I didn't miss. He evaded my attack!"

Naruto examined Anko as they spoke. She was unconscious. There was blood dripping from her right temple and her lips were stained blue. She was very pale.

"Oh, you've noticed your whore."

Naruto directed his attention towards the Hunter with the mace.

"We had a bit of fun with her. I don't know why, but her blood tasted so sweet. We couldn't help but feast on her after we were done."

Naruto ducked as two claws scissored above him. He drove his head back, butting his assailant in the ribs, then turned and cut across the attacker's legs, sending him to the ground. Blood spurted from the wounds and puddled on the ground. The attacker sat up, both hands like the claws of a wolf. He lunged again and was silenced with a blade through his eye.

"Well, Vincent's dead."

"Be silent, Theresa," Xavier said.

"Make me, Eunuch," the girl called Theresa said.

"Must you two argue in front of our prey?"

Naruto turned and saw someone appear from behind one of the trees. She too was dressed in black robes and hood that covered her face. He could tell she was a woman because of her voice; it sounded like the tinkling of a silver bell.

"Now that we are all introduced, would you please tell me where I can find the Child of Blood?"

Naruto smiled pleasantly.

"You are very quiet. My associates could learn from you."

"Hey, we're right here!" Theresa said, brandishing the cudgel. "Don't make me shove this Tonitrus up your ass!"

"Please excuse my foul-mouthed associate. I believe she is mentally deficient after too many knocks to the head."

"Hey!"

Xavier elbowed his compatriot in the ribs to shut her up.

"Thank you, Xavier," the woman said, "now, I ask you again; where is the Child of Blood?"

Naruto continued to smile.

"Fine then. We shall do it the bloody way."

Theresa began to approach but was stopped by a loud crunching sound like someone stepping on a potato chip. She crumpled and landed face first on the ground. There was a kunai sticking out of the base of her skull. Anko stumbled forward and fell to her knees. Naruto appeared at her side. Hefted her onto his shoulders. Xavier brought his mace over his head and brought it down. It crashed harmlessly into the ground. The two had disappeared in a gust of salt-laced wind.

"Blast! They escaped!" Xavier said.

"You are a fine observer of the obvious. Now, onto more pressing matters; help me with these two."

"Must we?"

"Yes. Even if you three are useless against a single opponent," she said, staring pointedly at him, "I still require you for the upcoming exams. But know that I will be reporting your incompetence to Master after we complete the mission. Your punishment is only postponed, not forgiven."

Xavier considered attacking her and escaping but thought better of it. There was no way he could match her, and even if he could, the others would merely execute him. The most he could hope for was a quick death.

"I understand."

* * *

Naruto dove into the dark water with Anko in his arms and came out dry on the other side. His hiding place was located under a dark-blue lake deep in the Forest of Death. It was a giant cavern lit by glowing algae that clung to the walls and ceiling and stained everything with blue light. On one side of the cavern was the pool he used to enter and leave his home. The other side was where he kept his amenities. There was a tent big enough for two and before it lay a fire pit. In one corner stood a large mirror and water basin. There was a rack lined with clothes in the other. Various pots and pans hung from hooks driven into the cavern's walls. Plates and cutlery were stacked in a blue plastic tray beneath them.

Naruto laid Anko down inside the tent and pressed a hand to her forehead. She was burning up. He slit his wrist and pressed it to her lips. He held his hand there until her skin flushed with color. Naruto walked out of the tent and lit a fire. Anko snuck up behind him and hugged his neck. She was taller and had to go on her knees to hug him. Her face was mashed against his shoulder. He felt moisture soak through his shirt.

"I'm sorry," she said, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

Naruto was too shocked to react then caressed her arms. How long had he been hoping for those words?

"It's okay," he said, "I forgive you."

Anko pressed her lips to his ear. "Come back to bed. I need a cuddle buddy."

She carried him like a bride back to the tent. She didn't let him down though. Instead she turned and fell onto her the futon. She let go just long enough for him to settle then pulled him up till his face was pressed in the valley of her breasts. She smiled at his annoyed look.

"Shut up and sleep," she said.

Naruto grumbled for a moment then decided to make himself comfortable. It was strange. The first thing she did when she awoke was ask for forgiveness, and now she was bossing him around. Humans are strange, he decided. Naruto lifted a hand and brushed some of the hair from her face. She smiled but didn't open her eyes.

"Sleep," she said.

He fell asleep.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Please feed me reviews! Tell me if you liked it, or if you hated it. Did it make you smile at the funny parts? Did it make you sad at the sad parts? Have any suggestions? Am I conveying the story in an accurate manner? Do the character's feel alive?**

 **Please note that you don't have to do any of these things, but I, as a writer, am committed to making better content. I can only do so if you participate and help me make better content for you. But if you don't have the time, or the energy, then feel free to just read the story.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this episode!**

 ***Becomes a butterfly and flies away***

 ***Gets eaten by a bird***


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: I do not own Naruto or Bloodborne**

* * *

"So this is where you go," Anko said. "It's a man cave, right?"

Naruto smiled at her poor attempt at a joke. "Well, I am a man, and this is my cave, so I suppose it is my man cave."

"Do you have to ruin my jokes?"

"Just the bad ones."

"Shut up."

Naruto and Anko lay in each other's arms. They were both staring at the ceiling, mesmerized by the glowing blue algae.

"I suppose I should start making breakfast," Naruto said, starting to rise.

Anko's arms encircled his head and pulled him down into the valley of her breasts, pinning him. Naruto tried to pull himself free and failed. When he stopped struggling, Anko let him come up for air. He came up gasping, his face on fire. She chuckled at his attempt at a dirty look.

"I know you don't want to have this talk, but it's happening: Who were those people and why are they after you?"

It took all of Naruto's self-control not to flinch. He had hoped to avoid this conversation, but it seemed that change would come regardless of his will.

"I'm sorry—"he said.

"Don't apologize. What happened is done. Besides, I should be thanking them—extended torture happens to make you very introspective. I had time to think about a lot of things, and you were all I could think of when I thought I was going to die," Anko said. "You're important to me, is what I'm trying to say. You're _my_ boy."

Naruto raised his brow. "Yours?"

"Mine."

"Okay. What do you want to know?" Naruto asked. His face looked almost silver in the glow of the algae.

"Who are they?"

"They are my family."

* * *

Outside, arid air prowled through streets stained by the dawn. It was already hot enough to sweat. Sakura lay awake despite only three hours of sleep. She lay staring at the pristine plaster of her ceiling, and wondered for the umpteenth time why the thing on her face was gone. She had felt the hot metal sear her, yet there was no scar. The skin of her forehead was bronze and pristine.

Sakura's stomach gurgled so loud that it frightened her. She lifted the bottom of her nightshirt until it exposed her belly button, and then watched, fascinated, as her stomach writhed under her skin. Had it been that long since she had a meal? She did a mental recap and realized that she hadn't eaten since midday yesterday. Sakura grabbed her black gloves from the cupboard beside her bed as she stood. For some reason slipping the gloves on seemed to calm her, like she was dipping her hands in cool water.

Breakfast consisted of three eggs, four slices of toast and thin minute steak. She was originally dismayed by her appetite, but reminded herself that she would work it off during training. As she washed her dirty dishes, Sakura wondered if it was too early to call on Naruto for training, and realized that she didn't know where he lived. In fact, she didn't know anything about Naruto. The thought made her slightly ashamed.

Then she recognized the irony of her situation; she didn't know anything about the two people she called "sensei". Come to think, she hadn't been all that curious. Kakashi had made it clear that he didn't want to get involved with anyone but Sasuke. He didn't hate his team; he just wasn't interested in them. That made her sad. It would have been okay if he disliked them, instead he just didn't care enough to get to know them.

Her team wasn't the most cohesive. Sasuke wasn't interested in anything except strength and the avenues with which he could attain it. She was embarrassed to admit that her recent dedication to training had at first been a desperate attempt to grasp his attention. Ten-ten had been right to some extent; she had been training to someone's housewife in the beginning.

Then there was Shino. There wasn't really anything particularly interesting about him, a sentiment he shared about her. It wasn't that they were antagonistic; some people just naturally don't associate with one another. If they weren't on the same team, they wouldn't even be on speaking terms. She knew that they were teammates, and that meant that they would fight to the death for each other, but they would never be friends.

Even her relationship with Ino, her best friend, was based upon conflict over a boy who didn't care about either of them.

Sakura felt the floor give way underneath her and grabbed the edge of the counter to stop her fall. She had pulled that single thread of truth and unraveled her entire world. For the first time, Sakura felt completely alone. She had no friends; no one to take her to lunch, or to a show, or to bandage her wounds. If she were to die right now, there would be no one to drink in her honor; no one to pour sake over her grave; no one to remember her in life.

Her thoughts would have continued to spiral if she hadn't looked down at her hand and saw them clothed in fine black leather. She noted the intricate little symbols in the fingertips, too fine for her to recognize. She turned her hand over and traced the almost imperceptible seem that crawled down from the tip of her thumb to her wrist. There was a small white scar on the inside of her left forearm. She had earned it after a botched maneuver involving an attempt at being cool and a sharpened kunai. Sakura shivered as she remembered how Ten-ten had chewed her out after she saw the cut.

The picture of a little boy in a shirt that hung to his knees floated to the surface of her thoughts. He was smiling at her. Sakura shook her head and smiled back. She had no right to feel lonely.

* * *

"You're going to have to explain this to me," Anko said. She still had Naruto pressed up against her with his cheeks were smashed against her breasts. Her hands were around the back of his head, holding him there.

"Can you please let me up?" Naruto whined.

"No."

"How am I supposed to explain then?"

"You're supposed to explain like this. Now talk."

Naruto mentally sighed. Anko enjoyed teasing him. The fact that she _could_ tease him was astonishing. He knew about sex and pregnancy and desire, yet there was something about Anko that made him jelly-legged. That she enjoyed doing it didn't work in his favor.

"Do you know what happened to the Uzumaki?"

"Yeah. Weren't they all killed in a joint attack during the Second Shinobi War?"

Naruto nodded.

"To explain what's going on may take a while and we should get up and—"

"You're going to tell me everything you know. You're not getting out of my grip until I understand why some assholes kidnapped and tortured me for information about you."

Naruto felt his resolve shrink again. "I'm so sorry," he whispered.

Anko pulled him into her bosom, smothering his apologies.

"Enough with the apologies. I've told you before: I don't care what they did to me. All I care about is what they want with you!" She let him go.

"I understand. But first need to know who the Uzumaki were, and where they came from."

"Is this gonna be a history lesson?" Anko groaned, rolling her eyes. Naruto smiled at her reluctance.

"Do you want to hear the story or not?"

"Might as well get my teeth scraped."

* * *

"The first Uzumaki were nomads," Naruto said, "They wandered from one side of the continent to the other looking for a place of their own. When they could settle, they did whatever they could to survive."

Anko arched her brow. "They were bandits?"

"No. They were grave robbers."

"Okay. What does that have to do with anything?"

Naruto smiled at her impatience. "Eventually the Uzumaki found Whirlpool country. And while they were there, they discovered the ruins of an ancient civilization."

"Pthumerians. A race of immortals who had mysteriously died out millennia before. The Uzumaki found their ruins under what was thought to be an ancient graveyard. The land above had crosses and religious symbols sticking out from under the ground. The people from the surrounding villages thought they were graves. It turns out that they were actually the steeples of the ancient buildings: The Pthumerian tombs."

"So the Uzumaki built their village on top of the ancient graveyard."

Naruto nodded.

"No offense, brat, but building your home on tombs that you plan to rob is bad taste."

Naruto chuckled. "Yes, it was. But that was also a desperate time. There were no actual Hidden Villages back then, only the Daimyos and their servants. It was everyone for themselves, and if you could find safe ground then you kept it at all costs. While they lived there the Uzumaki built their fortune on the knowledge they attained from the Pthumerians, including their knowledge on runes."

Anko's eyes lit up. "That's why the Uzumaki were revered as seal masters! They were just using runes!"

Naruto bathed in her realization. She looked like a little girl at her first magic show.

"Wait. So the Uzumaki used runes from the Thu-whatevers—"

"Pthumerians—"

"Whatever!" Anko said. "What was I trying to say? Oh, right! So if the Uzumaki were using runes from the Thu-whatevers—"

"Thu-me-ri-ens," Naruto said, emphasizing every vowel.

Anko pulled him back into her cleavage, muffling him. Naruto struggled for a while, waving his arms around, trying to pull himself free. Anko's arms pinned him until he finally surrendered.

"Are you going to interrupt me again?"

Naruto shook his head.

Anko grinned. His hair tickled.

"Okay, now as I was saying, if the Uzumaki were using THU-ME-RI-EN runes, then how did they know what the runes would do?"

Naruto didn't respond.

"Hello? Are you dead?"

Anko loosened her grip on his head. Naruto inhaled like a drowning man breaking the surface of a lake. Anko's smile looked as if it had been plastered onto her face.

"Did you have fun?"

Naruto's second attempt at a dirty glare made her laugh again.

"So, are you ready to answer my question? Or should I let you daydream a lil' more? Anko said. She stroked the back of his head, raking her fingers through silk hair. Naruto pouted at his defeat then relented.

"I never said that the runes were the only thing they found. There was something else, something deep down in the earth. The Old Blood."

* * *

Hinata Hyuga's Day revolved around routine. Up at dawn, breakfast with family, then team-meeting/training. After training, she would return home, at which point her father would point out that she was filthy. After her bath, she would join her family for dinner. Dinner was sitting and eating bland food while listening to the sound of her heartbeat. After dinner she would either retire to her room, or try to avoid her father, who liked to have private talks with her before bed. In these talks he would remind her of her duties as heir to Konoha's prestigious Hyuga clan, ask about her day (more about who she was with), or grunt for several minutes about the results of her lessons. These talks were especially painful because her father spoke with as much emotion as a discarded toy. Listening to him drivel on about tradition was like listening to huge, old machines being activated after years of disuse.

After a while he would dismiss her with one hand and she would retreat to her room. Then came the second-most important part of her day; her nightly routine. A lot of people thought the Hyuga were just naturally clear skinned and pale, but like Genin's ignorance of the history of the shinobi bar, they didn't realize that looking good (i.e. like a Hyuga) took an hour-long nightly routine that involved exfoliation, moisturization, and, for Hinata, soul-level contemplation that bordered on a meditation so intense that it extended her routine another hour.

After the tedious application of the various scented creams and oils, Hinata would sit still at her vanity mirror and close her eyes, cutting the natural flow of chakra to them. Her other senses would open up, compensating for the loss of her sight. Here her hearing and touch would increase ten-fold, but the most vivid sensation was smell. Hinata had perfect olfactoric memory. She could remember every scent she had ever encountered. This talent would usually be dismissed in the shinobi world; being able to remember smells wasn't particularly useful, save for memorizing the scent of certain poisons.

But for Hinata it was a god-sent gift. Something that had helped maintain her sanity under the constant strain of being an heiress. She could remember the smell of the shampoo she used; the smell of dust and grime under her fingernails; the thin odour of soap washing off that dirt; sweat dripping down past her nose; morning dew on grass. Kiba's feral musk, all dirt and trees and fur; Kurenai's gentle rose petal scent; Sakura's lily fragrance and sweat. Naruto smelled salty and fresh. She had never seen the ocean, but she imagined it smelled like Naruto.

Hinata would wander further and further backwards, retracing her steps back to her favourite scent. It was faint after almost a decade but she could still grasp it. It was earthy, salty, sweet, tinted with some flower she had never encountered since; a smell only mother's seemed to have. She would embrace that smell, concentrate on it; her whole being focused on this single sensation. For a few minutes every day, Hinata was once again in her mother's arms.

* * *

"I hate to break it to ya, but blood can't get old. It usually congeals and crumbles away after a few hours. Trust me, I should know considering how many times I had to scrub that shit out of my clothes after a bad day at work."

Naruto wondered if he was weird for not being fazed by the fact that Anko's job sometimes ended in her covered in blood.

"I thought the mark of a great interrogator was the ability to extract information without bloodshed?"

Anko flexed her arms, making his head dip. "Do you want to go back under?"

"No."

"Liar." She said, grinning.

Naruto ignored her comment and went on.

"I told you that the Pthumerians were immortal, so it stands to reason that their blood would be too."

"That's not how that works, brat.

"Will you let me finish?"

Anko continued grinning.

"The Pthumerians had learned to transfer their knowledge and power through the practice of blood transfusion."

Anko's lack of a witty response was the only clue to her shock.

"I see you're connecting the dots."

Anko didn't notice his comment however. Her mind was already following the trail of clues Naruto had handed her. The bloodline, the power, the thirst; it was starting to make sense.

"So, they found the blood. What then?" She asked offhandedly, as if her mind was far away.

"There were pictograms that told of a process by which they too could become immortal, and the Uzumaki were desperate enough to take the Pthumerian's gift without thought to the consequences. They partook of the blood, and the Uzumaki bloodline was born."

* * *

Kiba didn't have problems with his family. He was well-loved by most of the Inuzuka clan, and heir to its throne. His mother and sister loved him, and showed their love through actions instead of words. You didn't come home crying because of a scraped knee, but you could expect a hot bath waiting for you after you finished training.

He didn't have any enemies; no one that wanted him grievously harmed, although some of the clan liked to call him runt. He had, by shinobi standards, a very easy life.

Yet his nightmares were just as vivid and horrifying as his peer's.

The nightmares always began in a white room without a door or windows. He was always naked in the dream except for the metal collar fastened to his neck. The collar had a chain attached to it, and the chain was attached to an iron hasp that was as big as his head.

Then the hunger would come.

It was a sudden and ruthless as a knife through his guts, sending him howling to the floor. He would writhe on the floor, his stomach a great aching wound in his gut, pulsing as it slowly digested itself. He howled again. The skin around his torso pulled tight around his ribs, his stomach caving in almost instantaneously.

"Food! Please!" He whined, curling into himself. He tried to soothe his aching belly by rubbing it, but the contact only made his guts ache worse.

Eventually he lost the strength to even whine. He just lay there as his stomach made the tell-tale squelching sounds as the digestive acids in his guts slowly ate through the protective lining of his stomach, now making its way to his very flesh.

Then came the burning.

If Kiba had thought he had no strength left to scream, he was surely surprised when the blood in his veins caught fire. This time the sound tore free of his throat like an animal tearing free from its cage. He screamed until his cords gave out under the strain. He clawed at his skin, his nails tearing through his skin as easily as a knife through paper, leaving long deep, gouges across his chest and neck and stomach; bleeding until his torso was drenched red.

It didn't work. Instead the wounds only made the fire worse. He continued to scratch at the open wounds, his mind shrunk to a single point of consciousness: to stop the damn fire!

Eventually he grew weak, though if it was from blood loss or exhaustion he couldn't tell. He collapsed again, this time with his blood still boiling and his whole body on fire.

He was sure he would go mad. At one point he wished he would. But the nightmare wouldn't end. He didn't know how long he laid there. There was no way to measure time, if time meant anything in dreams. He was almost babbling when he felt another presence enter the room.

If he had any sense left, he would have pleaded for help, but with his blood on fire and his stomach like a gaping hole in his guts, his mind turned to a darker answer. It must've been the one who had imprisoned him—the one who had starved and poisoned him!

He was upon the intruder without so much as a warning, clawing at the his face. His long nails sharp as machetes tore into his attacker's flesh as easily water flowing downhill. He yanked great clumps of flesh from his victim's face; puncturing the eyes, clawing the nose off, ripping the lips away, quickly eviscerating any identifying features until his vision was blurred a messy red.

When exhaustion stopped him and the haze left his eyes, Kiba took stock of his opponent. And his pale blond hair.

* * *

Inuzuka Kiba's nightmares were no less horrifying or vivid than his peers. Only his might have been even worse considering that it would one day be his future.

* * *

"So the Uzumaki stuck ancient blood in their veins and didn't bother thinking about the consequences?"

Naruto smiled at her comment. He welcomed her dry wit—she was taking this new information in stride.

"Yes. But they were desperate. You of all people can understand the silly things people do when they believe they have no other choice."

Anko winced. She had an idea.

"As I was saying, they partook of the blood and received its gift. And it's curse."

"The thirst."

Naruto nodded.

Anko frowned.

"But what does that have to do with you? What do those fuckers want? What, who is the Child of Blood?"

Naruto sighed.

"I am the Child of Blood."

Anko growled. Actually growled deep in her throat.

"So they _are_ after you."

The blond nodded.

"That's all I needed to know." She said, disengaging from Naruto and standing.

Naruto also stood. He frowned in confusion.

"Where are you going?" He asked.

Anko smirked. It was the kind of smirk that only came at the anticipation of bloodshed.

"I'm going to kill every last one of them."

* * *

The Third Hokage stomped out of the alleyway, his Killing Intent spilling from behind the stolid façade of his calm face. That KI, coupled with the blood stains around the edges of his Kage robe, nearly made his accompanying shinobi faint. They were once again reminded that even in his almost elderly years, he was still the deadliest shinobi they had.

Hiruzen ignored his urge to curse and began fumbling through the many pockets hidden in his robes. He needed a damn smoke. Finding his pipe, he took a kunai from another pocket and dug out the burnt tobacco inside. With that done he refilled it with tobacco from a small bag in another of his pockets and lit it by creating a small flame on the end of his finger. He inhaled until the cinders burned through all the tobacco in the pipe, then repeated the process, refilling the pipe and finishing it in one long inhale, until the bag was empty.

The Third, now noticeably calmer, went to the back of the alley and turned left. If he were a younger man he would have been sick by now.

The alley behind the building had been painted red. All the walls and the ground were coated in coagulated blood that was beginning to turn black in some places. It reeked of rusted copper, and the smell coated the back of his throat like glue.

There was an investigative team trudging through the thickened blood. Each wore a white plastic body suit with see-through visors. All of them were in various stages of crouching, some on all fours. They were looking for teeth.

"How many bodies?" he asked, for once wishing he had some paperwork to fill.

One of the investigation team stood out of the blood and walked towards him. "At least three, Hokage-sama." He said.

"And there's no evidence? No hair or fibres? No chakra?"

"Negative, Hokage-sama."

Hiruzen sighed.

"And what's your theory? Do you have any idea who did this?"

The shinobi shrugged. "I would think it was obvious, Hokage-sama. Three victims, all of them eviscerated so badly that we will need to use dental records to identify them. It's the cannibal, it has to be."

 _Cannibal._ Hiruzen had never realized how disgusting that word was until these murders happened.

This particular theory had taken root only recently, but it was quickly becoming popular among the shinobi. It was triggered by one of the most frequently asked questions when it came to the murders: Why Konoha?

Why would the murderer come to Konoha, a hidden village with thousands of shinobi? Why would he risk being caught so many times yet still persist in killing? It had been Hiruzen's own son who had provided the answer.

" _He's like a lion. He stays close to his food."_

That one comment sparked a whole new conversation over the killer's motives. Was this just about food? If so, then why did the killer only attack criminals? And why not target easier prey?

This new theory had just led to a plethora of new and even more disturbing questions than before; a plethora that Hiruzen had left in the capable and baffled hands of Konoha's psych department. Inoichi still hadn't fully forgiven Sarutobi Asuma for sparking this new line of thought.

"We still don't know whether that theory is sound or not, so please refer to him as the killer and nothing else. We have so little evidence as it is—we don't need more groundless assumptions at the moment."

The shinobi looked like he wanted to disagree. Then he nodded stiffly.

Hiruzen dismissed him with a wave of his hand, and turned just in time to see two figures appear in twin whirlwinds. Inuzuka Tsume and Hatake Kakashi walked through the alley's entrance. As Hiruzen came to greet them, Tsume clouted Kakashi on the back of his head.

"Watch where the hell you're going next time. You almost poked my eye out with that stalactite you call hair."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. The other held the little orange book that was his signature accessory: Icha Icha Paradise.

"Mah mah, please calm down, Tsume-sama. It won't happen again." He said insincerely.

Tsume hit him again. This time the blow made him stumble forward.

"Be sure it doesn't, punk."

Kakashi gave her his usual lazy glare. It had no effect.

"It warms my heart to see two of my finest trackers getting along so well," Hiruzen said, his face a rictus of calm, "but would you please stop the shenanigans until after you've had a chance to look at the crime scene?"

Both shinobi straightened and saluted their Hokage.

"Hai, Hokage-sama."/"Hai, Hokage-sama." They said simultaneously.

Hiruzen sighed. "Just…get to work."

Tsume was the first to break stance. She took two quick steps towards him, looking concerned.

"Are you okay, Hiruzen?"

He smiled wanly and ignored her breach in protocol. "Just feeling my age, Tsume."

* * *

Tsume and Kakashi were the two best trackers in Konoha; Tsume because she was the best shinobi the Inuzuka had to offer, and Kakashi because of his contract with the dog summons. They were the ones the Hokage called when he wanted someone found. When the murders first began both shinobi had been called to survey the crime scenes. Hiruzen had hoped that they would be able to discover something the others could not.

They found nothing. No scent to track, or tracks to follow, nor any sort of physical evidence that anyone had been there, save for the blood and the bodies. Since then, Hiruzen had called them every time there was a new body. Even though he kne the odds of them finding anything were most likely none, he could hope. Hope was all they had at the moment.

This in mind, he was forgivably surprised when both shinobi came out of the alley after only a few minutes. It wasn't just because of the short amount of time they spent. It was in the way they walked towards him that shocked him. There were no sagging shoulders or bowed heads as before; instead they seemed to be happy, _giddy almost._ Tsume was smiling as they approached; Kakashi had put his book away.

"We got him, Hiruzen." Tsume said, fangs peeking out from behind her upper lip as they did when she smiled.

"As Tsume-sama said," Kakashi repeated. Hiruzen couldn't tell if he was smiling because of the mask, but he could see it in Kakashi's eye—victory.

"And what have you got?" Hiruzen asked.

"We got a scent! After nothing for almost seven years, we got a scent!" Tsume boomed.

"If you would care not to exclaim the details of an ongoing murder case to the entire world, Tsume," Hiruzen chided gently, "would you please explain why you are so excited over a scent?"

Tsume had enough sense to blush at the Third's gentle scolding, so it was Kakashi's turn to speak:

"Because we think our killer's diet has finally begun to catch up to him."

Hiruzen raised a brow. This was new.

"Go on."

"It smelled sick, Hokage-sama," Kakashi drawled. Hiruzen could almost hear the satisfaction in his voice. This was another little idiosyncrasy Kakashi had—he hated riddles. He hated leaving questions unanswered. He hated not knowing.

"There was a strong odour of decay in that area," Kakashi went on, "it was like sleeping next to a man dying from some wasting disease. Whoever did this was deathly sick."

"Yet, the killer managed to simultaneously dispatch three opponents." Hiruzen said, pressing his fingers together.

It was to Tsume's credit that she noticed that slight condescending tinge in the Third's voice.

"Why do you sound like you don't believe us?" She said.

"Oh, pardon me, Tsume," He said, "I do believe you. What I don't believe is that the killer did this."

If Kakashi had been holding his book he would have dropped it.

"What do you mean, Hokage-sama?" He asked. Both his and Tsume's eyes had turned to dinner plates in their sockets.

Hiruzen smiled and pulled down his hat so that its shadow drew over his eyes again. Both Jounin were suddenly very aware that he had assumed his alter persona, the man known as The Professor.

"Since I've been locked up in my tower, I've had time to pour over the reports of the killer's cases ever since they first began piling up on my desk. There are four distinct features surrounding the cases: Number one—the victims were always male; Number two—they were all criminals who were either committing a crime or attempting to commit a crime when they were killed; number three—there was always only one victim; and finally—all the murders occurred either in the Red Light District, or very close to it."

He watched the shock melt from their faces.

"It doesn't fit," Tsume said.

"Correct. I'm sure that at least one of the victims is female. We have three bodies—not one. There have been no new reports of break-ins or thefts. And…" He waved his hand over the area. "…this is the business district. Almost right next to the Hokage Tower, and as such one of the most heavily guarded areas in Konoha. Why would the killer break his pattern, go outside his comfort zone, and kill three innocent people while he was probably too sick to stand?"

"He wouldn't," Kakashi drawled.

Tsume swore.

"You seem to have caught on," Hiruzen said, "We have a copycat killer in Konoha."

* * *

 **Author's note: Please leave me a review. Also, tell me, did it make you laugh, or cry, or think deeply, did it leave any lasting impression?**

 **I'm trying to improve my writing abilities by experimenting with line breaks.**

 **When a line break happens, it usually means a changing of a scene. But I want to take this several steps further, such as noting when perspectives change.**

 **You've probably noticed that I use them quite a bit. Part of it is that they allow breaks in-between large pieces of text and speech. This whole story is based upon the multiple perspectives of the characters, and as such, I need them to clue you in when this scene ends and another begins.**

 **The line-breaks are your friends.**

 **ALSO, PLEASE FOLLOW AND REVIEW! NEED MORE REVIEWS!**


	12. Chapter 12

Naruto: Paleblood - Chapter 12

* * *

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or Bloodborne. I'm broke.

* * *

Kurenai Yuhi was surprised when she saw Anko already seated in the packed Hokage's office. She hadn't seen her since she had disappeared from her hospital bed. Anko's skin had returned to that golden glow she had earned through years of training in the blazing heat, and the bags under her eyes were gone. It was as if the last few weeks had never happened.

Anko spotted her.

"Hey, Nai-chan! C'mon, sit here!"

Several other heads turned to see her.

If Kurenai had been anyone else she would have been embarrassed. Fortunately she was used to the Tokujo's (Special Jonin) antics. In fact, she was relieved; if Anko was well enough to publicly embarrass her then she must be back to normal.

As normal as she could ever be, she thought.

But the seat beside Anko was currently occupied by another Tokujo, the senbon chewing Genma Shiranui. Kurenai, being a polite person, decided to look for another seat when she saw that it was taken. Anko was not a particularly polite person.

"Hey Genma, find another seat."

Genma's brow furrowed. "Can't you just go sit next to he—"

The chair beneath him disappeared in a puff of smoke. In its stead was a small cactus pot plant.

To his credit, Genma didn't scream when the cactus lodged its needles in the flesh around his anus. The only sound that came from his mouth was the sharp snap of the senbon breaking between his gritting teeth.

Muffled laughter in the Hokage's office. Genma pried the cactus loose from his ass with a faint grunt, then turned to glare at Anko, brandishing it like a weapon.

"Really?!"

Anko's smirk was his only answer. Genma would have pitched it at her face if the Third hadn't stopped him.

"Would you please return my plant, Genma? Before you dirty it with Anko's blood, if you would be so kind?"

Genma turned to his Kage, took several painful steps towards his desk with the pot plant still raised, and set it down gently. Then he threw another glare at Anko.

"You know this means war, don't you?" He growled.

Anko tilted her head to one side. "You know you love me."

Genma ignored her and limped to the back of the room. Snickers trailed behind him. Kurenai quickly took the chair that was now on the Hokage's desk and seated herself beside her friend.

"Is everyone here?" The Third asked, smiling despite his better judgment. This reminded him of something the Second Hokage told him: _"The Kage is a parent, and everyone within the village is part of your ever expanding family. It is your duty to care and nurture every one of your children."_

Now sitting among his Jonin, giggling at another's mishap like little children, it seemed more apt than ever.

"Kakashi's late again," Asuma said, puffing on a cigarette.

"My eternal rival's hip attitude towards punctuality is most annoying." Guy commented, arms crossed and his face devoid of humour. This disturbed the others. Maito Guy was legendary for his boisterous attitude and manic nature. The situation must be grave if he was taking things seriously. Asuma butted out his cigarette. Kurenai stopped smiling. Anko straightened in her chair.

The Third sighed. Although he didn't look it, Guy was his most perceptive shinobi, and quite capable of identifying when he could behave in his usual fashion and when he couldn't. From the moment he set eyes upon the Third, Guy had known that the meeting was about bad news.

Bad news, the Third snorted, it seems that almost all my meetings were bad news these days.

He kept this comment to himself. It wouldn't do for the Jonin to see their leader weak or melancholy. One of the more obscure duties a Kage had was to ensure his forces morale stayed high. Another lesson the Second taught him: _"A kage must not bleed before his soldiers."_

Anko piped up. "So who's gonna go get that lazy prick?"

"No one," the Third said, bowing his head. The shadow from his hat descended, obscuring his eyes. "If Kakashi isn't here within the next five seconds, he will have his D-rank sentence extended until the end of the year."

Several Jonin winced. D-ranks for the next 6 months? Cruel and unusual.

"Five," Anko murmured.

Kurenai nudged her ribs.

"Four," Genma said.

"Three," Guy whispered, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Kurenai shot a glance to the door behind her. Sensibly shut. No sound of footsteps outside the room. In fact, she couldn't hear anything at all. The Jonin were holding their breath.

"Two," Anko said, grinning with anticipation.

Guy's gaze remained fixed upon the open window next to the Hokage's desk. The sky outside was a wonderful blue and completely cloudless. He could see the people in the streets beneath the tower and the tops of the buildings and the great wall surrounding their village. No Kakashi.

Kurenai couldn't help her small vindictive grin when she remembered all the hours they had to wait for Kakashi to arrive.

"One," she said.

"Yo."

"Gahhh!" Anko threw her hands into the air, robbed of her victory.

* * *

"So glad that you could join us on relative time, Hatake."

Kakashi didn't dare make a joke about black cats or old ladies.

"I was doing some more research on a target I've been tracking, Hokage-sama."

"Who's the target?" Anko asked.

Kakashi glanced at her and said: "It's a personal project."

Anko frowned at his non-answer.

"You can question Kakashi later, Anko, but right now there is grave information that I must share with you," The Third said.

"No doubt that you have heard about the most recent bout of murders," he raised a brow to his audience, indicating his displeasure at the gossiping elite. Several pairs of eyes looked away. "What you might not know is that we believe that the murders were committed by a copycat killer."

Several Jonin popped from their chairs like moles from their holes, and began to shout and wave their hands in the air.

"What!?"

"How is that possible!?"

"It's impossible!?"

"What do you mean, copycat?!"

Their shouting was answered by a rapid and overwhelming power buckling their legs. It felt like the gravity above their heads had tripled. Many of those standing were forced back into their seats. Genma was crouched by it while the more experienced and powerful Guy and Kakashi only broke out in cold sweat.

Anko, having dealt with KI for most of her life, was among the few who could look the Hokage in the face while he exerted his power. His eyes had disappeared under the shadows of his hat. His mouth was a long grim line cut across his face.

"The next Jonin to interrupt me will be busted back to Genin, do you understand?" He asked in a low and dangerously calm voice.

There were a resounding chorus of nods from the crowd. The Third's KI disappeared. Several held breaths were released.

"We believe it is a copycat killer due to the inconsistency of the crime."

Kurenai made to raise her hand, lowered it, then raised it again. The Third nodded.

"What inconsistencies?"

"In all the cases, there was only one victim. They were all criminals either committing a crime or about to commit a crime, and all the victims were male. Our newest victims were identified as a young family, two fathers and a daughter. There is also the location of the bodies." He pointed to the business district less than a kilometer away. "The murders occurred behind a family owned business. All the other crimes took place in or around the Red Light District."

Sarutobi Asuma's eyes narrowed. "So he's run out of prey."

The Third frowned. Again with this theory.

"We don't know if he is eating his victims or not, Asuma. What we do know is that there were a number of inconsistencies that didn't fit our killer's methods. But there is good news: the killer left something behind."

"We got a clue?" Anko asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"A scent," the Third said, "Would you please explain, Kakashi?"

Kakashi had revealed his little orange book during the Third's explanation, and lowered it to address the others.

"There was the usual blood and bodies, but it also smelled wrong, like rotting fruit. Whoever murdered that family was sick."

"A wasting disease? Cancer?" Kurenai asked.

"We couldn't tell."

"Do we have any suspects?" Asuma this time.

"No."

"Oh come on! It has to be one of the other village's teams." A brunette Jonin named Mai said.

Kakashi turned to her. "We don't know that for sure, and while you could be right, there's a problem."

"We cannot accuse anyone at the moment," the Third said, folding his hands on his desk.

"Why not, Hokage-sama?"

"Because of the Chunin Exams, stupid." Anko said. "We invited all those teams here. If we just start accusing them left and right we're going to start another Shinobi War."

"Anko is correct. We cannot afford more bad blood at the moment," the Third continued.

"So we're helpless," Asuma stated blandly.

The third held up a hand. "Not necessarily. We know that whoever killed that family was sick. So I want you all to keep a look-out for anyone who seems to be ill. Keep an especially close watch on those Nin who reside close to the crime scene."

"You mean like the foreign ninja staying in the hotels surrounding the business district?" Asuma said.

The Hokage smiled thinly.

* * *

"Man, you think there's something wrong? Kurenai-sensei has never been this late before." Kiba asked. He was sitting on the single stump in Training Area 18 with Akamaru on his head. The yellow grass swayed easily in the slight breeze.

Hinata sat beside him and re-checked all her equipment. A dozen kunai and shuriken with another dozen of each in a scroll. An empty sealing scroll. Another scroll filled with a week's worth of rations. Then there was Naruto's gift. She opened her hand and studied the symbol on her palm.

"She was most likely called to the Hokage's office for a final briefing before the exams begin."

"Yeah, maybe," he replied without looking, "Have you noticed anything weird since yesterday?"

Hinata frowned. Kiba being quiet and withdrawn was almost as unsettling as the silence she experienced at supper. "What do you mean?"

He thrust back his head and sighed, almost knocking Akamaru from his seat. "I don't know. But the Hokage called Mom from dinner yesterday, "something urgent". When she came back, she was pissed. Wouldn't let me go out for midnight training. Said it was dangerous."

Hinata's eyes narrowed. Something horrible enough to make Inuzuka Tsume worry was not to be taken lightly.

"So you haven't noticed anything?"

"Perhaps. Father has doubled the amount of guards on the night-shift and imposed a 7 o'clock curfew for all Main Clan members. I thought it was because of the foreign Nin arriving for the exams, but it coincides with your story too well. I think he's worried too."

Kiba turned to face her. "You think it might be the killer again?"

Hinata's mouth turned grim. "Most likely."

The subject of the killer in Konoha had been circling the coffee tables and teacher's lounges for almost 5 years, eventually landing in their laps during their second year at the Academy. Someone was murdering people in Konoha and had been doing so for almost half their lives. At first the knowledge shocked them. Weren't the Hidden Villages supposed to be the safest places in the world? Then the civilian students refused to attend classes for a week. It had taken a personal visit from the Hokage to bring them back.

Hinata had secretly resented him for that—class had been much more productive without whiny civilian kids slowing everyone down.

"You remember when the Old Man told us that all the murders happened in the Red Light District?"

Hinata nodded then nudged him with her elbow. "That's the Hokage you are speaking of, Kiba. Address him as such."

Kiba waved off her rebuke. "Yeah, yeah, I will. But besides that, did you know that Naruto lives in the Red Light District?"

There were very few times when Hinata Hyuga was genuinely surprised, and fewer when she let it show. This was one of those times.

Kiba watched as Hinata's eyes widen. Wow. So this was what it felt like to know more than someone else for once.

Hinata took a moment to still herself. Naruto lived in the Red Light District? The dirty, bar-infested, urine stained Red Light District? The one where shinobi met their hookers?

"You are serious?" She asked in a voice like ice.

Kiba decided that he wouldn't try to surprise Hinata again.

"Yeah, I walked him home after we came back from Wave."

"And you failed to mention that our teammate lived in the most poverty-stricken area in Konoha until now?"

Kiba held up his hands. "Hey, it's not that bad. He lives in a real nice apartment building, no broken windows or nothing."

Hinata resisted her urge to slap him. "Kiba, all the murders took place in the Red Light District!"

Kiba blanched at the implication. "Y-you don't think?"

"I don't know," she said, her Byakugan bulging from her sockets, "But that might be why Kurenai-sensei is late." She turned to stare down the path leading into Training Ground 18, scanning for any sign of their smallest companion.

Kiba felt a pit begin to form in the bottom of his stomach. As he tried to set his worry aside, his mind wandered back to when the nightmares first started.

* * *

 _When Kiba returned from taking Naruto home, Tsume led him to one of the smaller kitchens in the Inuzuka estate. It was dark outside._

 _She took a seat at the table in the middle of the room and gestured for her son to sit._

 _Kiba didn't move. He was, in fact, a little scared. His mother's face was unusually grim, and her eyes were hard as flint._

 _"You're going to want to sit down for what I'm about to tell you, Kiba."_

 _That did it. Now he really was scared. His mother never used his name. It was always "Brat", or "Pup", or even "little one", never Kiba. He swallowed the lump in his throat and quickly sat down on the other end of the table._

 _Tsume ran a hand through her hair. This was not how she wanted to start. She had rehearsed this conversation in her head so many times that now that it was actually happening, she didn't know how to react. The apprehension and frank fear on her son's face threw her._

 _"Kiba!" she said. Kiba almost hopped out of his seat. When she saw her son's reaction, Tsume laughed._

 _Kiba blushed. "What's so funny?" he sputtered._

 _Tsume took a moment to clutch her sides before she said:_

 _"You are, Pup. You look like a dog that thinks he's about to get neutered."_

 _Kiba winced then asked, almost timidly:_

 _"That's not what this is about, is it?"_

 _This sent Tsume from her chair to rolling on the floor. Kiba glared playfully at his mother as she stamped her feet and clutched her sides._

 _With tears forming at the corners of her eyes, Tsume said:_

 _"God, I love you, little one."_

 _It was a simple confession, and a balm on his nerves._

 _Tsume stood when she recovered and sat next to Kiba's._

 _"Listen, I wanted to explain why I didn't let you and that boy go through the Culling."_

 _Kiba frowned at her referring to Naruto as "that boy", but his curiosity won out._

 _"Don't you mean bonding?"_

 _"No," Tsume said, "that's just a euphemism. When they first created the ritual, it was called the Culling."_

 _"Culling—that doesn't sound good."_

 _Tsume shook her head. "In biology, culling means to root out bad characteristics. Remember how we had to separate that stray that kept biting all the bitches in the kennel?"_

 _Kiba nodded._

 _"Same thing. It's like breeding: we put the bitches with the dogs that have traits we want their pups to have, and we separate the ones that don't. The Inuzuka have been doing it for centuries, and not only to dogs."_

 _"What are you talking about?"_

 _"Haven't you ever wondered why we Inuzuka are naturally stronger and faster and have better senses than other shinobi?"_

 _"Isn't it a bloodline or something?"_

 _"Nope. Sorry Pup."_

 _"What was it?" Kiba asked, sounding like a small child wanting to know how the fairy tale ends._

 _"Breeding."_

* * *

Hinata's elbow jolted him from his memory.

"There he is," she said, her shoulders sagging slightly.

Kiba turned to see a small, black dot in the distance.

"You sure?"

Hinata revealed her active Byakugan.

"Yes, I'm sure."

Kiba smiled sheepishly.

The black dot grew from a period into the shape of a child, approaching with incredible speed despite that it looked like he was strolling. He was dressed differently than usual. He had substituted his shorts and long, white shirt for a white robe with gold embroidered edges and a black robe worn underneath. The sleeves of the robe were wide like that of a monk's and ended just above his elbows, revealing long black gloves. A white belt circled his waist. Black boots garbed his feet.

Kiba almost swallowed his tongue when he saw Naruto up close.

With his hair in a long, pale yellow ponytail that rested on his chest, Naruto looked so much like a beautiful, young girl that Kiba had to remind himself that this was Naruto he was looking at.

Hinata, however, noted that despite its perceived extravagance, the robes were perfectly suited for combat. They were loose enough to provide complete freedom of movement while tight enough to not get in the way during combat. There were no visible pockets. Yet a quick scan with her Byakugan revealed dozens of hidden spaces filled with kunai and shuriken. The Blade of Mercy was under his belt.

Naruto twirled on his toes.

"What do you think?"

Hinata chuckled. "You look adorable, Naruto."

He turned to Kiba and did another twirl.

Kiba's mouth opened but there was no sound. Open. Closed. Open. Closed. His cheeks burning red. He looked like a confused clown fish.

"I think he likes it too." Hinata said, smirking.

* * *

Kurenai appeared in a gust of wind and leaves to the sight of Hinata and Naruto facing one another in combat stance.

She was surprised when she saw Hinata wielding a long saber with her right hand and a dagger with her left. Since when had she practiced Kenjutsu?

She was again surprised when she saw Naruto. He had changed his outfit to something that a princess might wear.

"Hey sensei!" Kiba called out, waving to her.

She approached him.

"Good morning, Kiba. How was your week off?"

The Inuzuka heir flashed her a quick grin, exposing his fangs.

"Pretty good. Mom trained me personally."

Kurenai arched a brow. "And did you learn any new tricks?"

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see, won't you, Sensei?"

They shared a quick chuckle then turned their attention towards the two Genin as they charged one another.

"Since when has Hinata wielded a sword?" She asked almost offhandedly as the two exchanged steel.

"Dunno. Hinata just showed them to me a second ago. I think her and Naruto have been training together."

* * *

Naruto ducked under Hinata's wide swing, bringing up his blades in symmetrical stabs. Hinata twirled around them and lashed out at his face with her dagger. But Naruto was no longer there. He dove under her swing and slammed into her. Hinata stumbled. Swung her saber in a desperate effort to drive Naruto back. Naruto sidestepped the attack then swept her legs out from underneath her with a kick. She landed on her back. Her blades clattered onto the ground beside her.

"Do you know what you did wrong?" Naruto asked, sheathing his weapon.

Hinata groaned then rose onto her elbows. "I'm too slow."

Naruto shook his head and held out his hand. Hinata took it and was pulled to her feet.

"You were too passive."

The Hyuga heir frowned then turned to retrieve her blades.

"You're too used to being the defender instead of the attacker."

"You mean I'm too used to being outclassed by my opponent," she said bitterly.

"That didn't stop you from beating Lee."

Hinata felt a stab of irritation.

"Do you ever get tired of being right?"

Naruto grinned. "Not yet."

Clapping interrupted them.

"Well done, both of you." Kurenai said.

"Good morning, Kurenai-sensei," Both Hinata and Naruto said.

Kurenai nodded her greeting. She turned to Hinata.

"Go rest with Kiba and Akamaru. Naruto and I need to talk."

Hinata glanced at Naruto, and Kurenai despaired. Her student's pause was proof that there was still distrust between her and her team.

After another moment Hinata nodded.

* * *

Kurenai led Naruto into the nearby trees, far away enough that neither of their teammates would be able to hear them. She, however, knew that Hinata's Byakugan would be active until they returned.

She turned and bowed at the waist.

"I'm sorry," she said, this time neither stone-faced or sour, her hands were at her sides.

"Anko told you what happened," he stated.

"Yes. She told me about her addiction," she paused, "And what she did."

"I see."

"I told her what I did. She almost flayed me alive."

"Is that the reason you're apologizing now?" Naruto probed.

Kurenai lifted her head. "It is part of the reason, yes. The other is that I feel guilty for doing what I did."

"And is your guilt the only other reason you're apologizing?"

Kurenai grimaced. "No. I wanted to apologize as your teammate. I was suspicious of you since we met, and I hurt our team because of it." Her head went back down.

Naruto remained silent for another moment. Then he said:

"I will forgive you if you grant me a request."

Kurenai closed her eyes. Here it was: her penance.

Naruto lifted her chin to face him. He was grinning cheekily.

"Do you think we could be friends now?"

Kurenai laughed for a moment, completely thrown by his question. It seemed more like that of a small child asking for a piece of candy than a mature, young man's request. Then she straightened until she towered over her student. Her face becoming stern.

"Unfortunately, as sensei and student, it would be completely unethical for us to fraternize outside the confines of our duty."

Naruto's smile dimmed.

"But," Her expression melting into a smile, "I think that would be lovely."

He beamed.

"We should join Kiba and Hinata before they come looking for us," Kurenai said.

Her blond Genin turned to begin the walk back. But as he did, he said something that froze her:

"To be honest, Sensei, I have been keeping secrets from you and the team. But I promise I will never endanger the team to keep them, because," and here his voice became less melodic, gaining a sternness befitting a Hyuga heiress, "I won't work with anyone else."

* * *

Hinata noted the shock on her sensei's face when the two returned from their private conversation. She relaxed her Byakugan as they broke the treeline. Kiba stopped channeling chakra to his ears.

"Did you catch any of what they said?" She asked.

Kiba shook his head. "Nothing. All I could hear was rushing water."

Hinata shook her head.

"Thank you for trusting me with Naruto, you two." Kurenai said.

Both students repressed a wince.

"Now, before I send you off, there is something that I have to say."

She bowed again. "I'm sorry."

It was their turn to be shocked.

When she straightened, Kurenai continued:

"You have both noticed my behavior lately, and I feel that it's time that I explain. Before we became Team 8, one of my friends became seriously ill. She became distant and guarded. She stopped going out. Stopped communicating altogether. She began to self-medicate. When we returned from Wave, she almost overdosed."

Kiba grimaced. His mother had explained the dangers of addiction to him just after he graduated.

"Ninja tend to be easily addicted to shit. Some choose drugs, others booze, some get addicted to sex. And when they get older, if they don't die in battle, their vices kill them. And I don't want that for you, pup."

"I don't know if you can understand how helpless I felt," Kurenai said, her eyes down and away, "but I took it out on you and Naruto. I was angry and upset, and Naruto's secrecy triggered those feelings. I felt that if I couldn't even control my own Genin, I wouldn't be able to help her at all."

"So that's why you had him arrested!" Kiba said, standing.

Kurenai met Kiba's gaze with steel eyes, "I was in the right when I took him before the Hokage. Naruto endangered the team by hiding his abilities." Then her cheeks caught fire. "But I would be lying if I said my emotions didn't play a minuscule part in my decision."

"Vindictiveness isn't a very admirable trait, Kurenai-sensei," Hinata commented dryly.

Kurenai gave her a pained look. "No, it isn't." She closed her eyes and sigh

"I won't force you to follow me. If you feel that you can no longer trust me or my leadership, I will resign."

Naruto would have applauded her bravery if the situation weren't so delicate. Kurenai had offered them all the power in the situation. She was showing them that she trusted them implicitly.

Kiba and Hinata shared a look.

"I, for one, can understand the strange and misguided things people do under stress," Hinata said, remembering the way she had attacked Naruto, "Although I can't say I'm not upset at your behavior, I can't hold it against you without being a hypocrite."

Kurenai smiled weakly.

"I don't think I could've forgiven you if you said it wasn't your fault," Kiba murmured, "but you didn't. You admitted you were wrong instead of trying to shift the blame. And that takes guts." He smiled. "I can respect guts."

Their sensei bowed again. "Thank you."

* * *

Kurenai led them to a large white building on the other side of the village. It w It had a courtyard converted into sparring area with white chalk..

"This is where the First Exam will take place," she said.

Kiba groaned. "This doesn't look like an arena. Is this gonna be a freaking paper exam?"

The rest of the team smirked at his despair.

"Don't worry, Kiba. I'm sure there aren't any spooky written exams waiting for you," Hinata said.

Kurenai took a step back. They all seemed so big now. She had regarded them as babies when she first met them, babies that had just learned to walk in a world that expected too much of them. And in her desperation to make sure they were ready, she had made some… questionable… decisions. The extermination mission had been one of them. Withholding important information from them was another. But the one mistake she would never make was underestimate her team. She would believe in them wholeheartedly from now until the day they no longer were Team 8.

"I would say make me proud, but that's impossible. I'm already proud of you."

This time, it was team who bowed.

* * *

Naruto had one more private conversation with Kurenai.

"Why didn't you tell them about my blood?" he asked.

Kurenai sighed. "Besides the fact that I would be executed, everything I said was true. I did focus my anger and anxiety on you. I did lie to the team. I needed to take responsibility for my actions."

"And?"

"And… you did help Anko. I've never seen her cry before. She's no longer just hiding behind her smile. And when I can tell how much she cares about you. Now whether that's just a side-effect of her addiction," she looked pointedly at him, "or if you somehow managed to pierce that thick skull of hers, still remains to be seen."

Naruto nodded.

"But, let me say this: I don't approve."

He frowned.

"No matter what she says, the fact is that she is innocent when it comes to matters of the heart."

"I would never intentionally hurt her," Naruto protested.

"I know that. But you have to realize that Anko has only ever been this vulnerable with one other person."

"Orochimaru."

"When he betrayed Konoha, the villagers turned their blame onto her. She had to learn to harden her heart against their hate, and that made it difficult for people who actually cared to connect with her. I'm one of the few she chose to let in, and even I think it was mostly luck." She smiled melancholically. "I'm a little jealous actually."

"Thank you."

"But there lies the problem. Anko has decided to make you part of the few people she genuinely cares about. But at the same time, she's completely vulnerable to you, and that scares her. She spent most of her life trying to escape that man's shadow, and she's terrified it might end the same way. Could you imagine what she must be feeling, immense longing mixed with numbing fear? If you have any idea, then you can understand why she did what she did."

"She wanted to sever any bond she thought was leashing her to me."

"And in the process she ended up doing something that nearly destroyed her. Do you understand what I'm saying? Do you understand how much you could hurt her, even if you didn't mean to?"

Naruto didn't respond.

"No matter how mature you are, you're still a child. And despite the fact that she has the emotional maturity of a teenager, she's still an adult. I want her to have normal relationships, to fall for someone her own age, to experience petty heartbreak and little crushes and all the other things she missed because of that bastard, but that's not going to happen. Life isn't fair. And her heart's settled on you."

Blue eyes stared staunchly into her.

"What would you have me do?"

"Love her. With your whole heart. For as long as it lasts."

Naruto bowed then left.

* * *

The foyer was a long, wide room lined with enormous, stone tiles. In the middle of the room, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura faced each other. The Uchiha was low and tight, legs spread in the traditional Uchiha Taijutsu. Sakura remained loose, fists up, chin down, bouncing from one foot to another.

 _That's right. Keep moving. A stationary fighter is a dead fighter._

The others, including Higurashi Tenten and Rock Lee, were standing beside the only other door in the arena.

Sakura was the first to move. She took a single step with her back leg and flew, her feet never touching the ground before she came to a dead stop in front of the Uchiha, her left hand coming in on an arc. Sasuke stepped back to let the blow pass in front of his face.

 _Mistake, Lee thought._

Sakura in turn took a step forward and swept with her left leg. When Sasuke lifted his leg to avoid it, she struck.

She closed the distance. Ducked low. Came up with a gut punch on Sasuke's left side. It landed with a heavy smack like something heavy hitting a side of beef. He made a whooping gasp and tried to back away, but his opponent persisted. A left hook loosened his jaw, gut punch, right cross on his chin, solar plexus, gut punch. Each emphasized with heavy smack noises and sharp grunts. It looked like it was going to be a short fight.

Then she started to miss. Her blows began to glance. The Uchiha began to defend himself, to counter: repelling an uppercut with a well-placed block, turning aside her attempt at haymaker and landing a sharp blow on her chest.

Naruto couldn't see what had changed from where he stood, but he did catch Lee's reverent whisper: _Sharingan._

Sakura didn't let up, handing out blows and receiving them with the grim courtesy of a triage doctor. Sasuke, on the other hand, was quickly frustrated at her lack of reaction. Why? Why were his blows so ineffective? Why was she suddenly better at Taijutsu than him? WHY WAS HE LOSING!?

With a yell, Sasuke threw himself forward, trying to match her blow for blow. This was his final mistake. Sakura had spent a whole month training and sparring with some of the best Taijutsu practitioners in Konoha, and all of them agreed upon her one defining trait: Grit.

Sakura had a near indomitable will. Guy had spotted it from the moment he'd seen her train. He had been so impressed that he had offered her a parting gift when the teams separated.

Sakura dropped her arms and thrust her head forward. The enraged Uchiha didn't think to halt his attacks before one fist landed squarely on the top of her bronze forehead. There was a cracking noise, a spurt of blood and a scream.

* * *

"Congrats on your win, Sakura."

Tenten smirked and clapped a hand on her shoulder. Sakura felt something burst within her at those words. She was finally an equal. She smiled back.

"That was a most youthful display, Sakura-san!" Lee said, bouncing from one foot to another.

Kiba clapped.

Hinata remained silent, her face was inscrutable under pearl eyes, her arms folded over her belly. Sakura cowed slightly under her gaze. It felt like she was in front of a panel of judges. Then one side of the Hyuga's mouth lifted in a half-smile.

"Impressive."

Sakura grinned.

Shino gave her a thumbs up.

"I see you've been keeping up with your training." Naruto said, appearing from behind her.

Much to her credit, Sakura only hopped this time.

"DON'T… do that, Naruto-sensei," she said.

Hinata and the others quirked a brow. Sensei?

Naruto tilted his head."Since when do you call me sensei?"

Sakura's blush was hidden by her new tan. "I just thought that it was appropriate considering that you spent more time training me than Kakashi-sensei did."

Tenten frowned. "Has he been neglecting your training?"

"No. I mean yes, but I don't think he's doing it on purpose. I just think he's been busy preparing Sasuke for the exams," she sputtered.

"He should have been busy preparing all three of you, not just Sasuke." Tenten turned to address Shino. "What about you, Aburame-san? Has he been ignoring you as well?"

Shino was tall with short, black hair. He wore a thick, faded green coat with a collar that hid the lower half of his face, and round, black glasses that hid his eyes. He spoke in a deep, calm voice: "Yes. When I asked for training, he informed me that he did not know any Aburame techniques, and that I should focus on mastering my clan's Ninpo. I did not think much of it until I saw Sakura-san's bout against Uchiha-san."

"What did you see, Aburame-san?"

"Sasuke's Taijutsu. It is much more advanced than what I recall from our previous spars, even though he rushed in and let his arrogance blind him to his opponent."

Sakura felt her new-found pride fade a little. Shino was right. Sasuke's arrogance had been as much a part of his downfall as her strength. If he had been calm and relied upon his Fire Ninjutsu, she would have lost, or even worse, been burned alive. Shino, ever observant, noted the slack in her shoulders at his words.

"Don't mistake my words for criticism, Sakura-san. You fought well and earned that victory through your skill alone. Any fault that weakened him was his own."

The pinkette straightened slightly and nodded her thanks. Shino nodded in return.

"And there was the small fact of his Sharingan," Hinata said.

Shino acknowledged her with another nod, his glasses never dipping from his eyes.

"The Sharingan is famous not only for it's power, but the price one must pay to activate it."

"My mom told me it takes a life-or-death situation for the Sharingan to awaken," Kiba said.

Shino nodded again. Some of the Genin wondered if that was the only expression he knew.

"Could Sasuke have activated it when he was young? He was there when Itachi killed his family," Sakura said, secretly cursing that it sounded like she was defending him again.

Shino shook his head. "If he had activated it, he would have shown it during the mission to Wave. I do not believe Uchiha-san has the patience necessary to hide his strength for that long."

"So he most likely got it working because Kakashi forced it out. That must have been some serious training." Kiba commented.

"And judging from his proficiency in activating it, one might safely assume training in its use."

"Bastard," Tenten snarled.

"Tenten-san!"

"That's what he is, Sakura. He knew what you would face going into the exams, yet he refused to train you, a civilian descendant, because he had to think of the precious Uchiha. He couldn't have taken an hour a day to instruct you? That's bullshit, Sakura. I can understand Shino needing to learn his clan techniques, but you, with no one to guide you and no clan to fall back on? He abandoned you!"

Sakura, dismayed by her anger and touched by her concern, couldn't think of anything to say.

"And I'm assuming that neither of you have reported him to the Hokage yet?" She asked darkly.

Sakura's eyes swelled. "I couldn't."

"You can and you must, Sakura. How is he going to learn if you let him get away with it? What's going to happen if you get injured or crippled because of his neglect?"

"But if I report him, it might break up the team." She defended weakly.

"What team, Sakura? The team where he neglects you and runs off to train his Uchiha brat!?"

"But—"

"No more 'buts'! What is the problem!? Why are you so intent on protecting them?!"

"Because I don't want to beat them that way, alright!?" Sakura shouted, her eyes shining. "I don't want to win by telling on them! I want to win by beating them! I want to face Sasuke in the finals and kick his ass in front of the entire village! I want to look Kakashi in the eye when they hand me that Chunin jacket, and I want him to know that I don't need his help to be strong!"

Tenten's jaw set. Her eyes went flat and hard and glittered like river stones. Sakura met her gaze. Kiba took several steps back, just in case it came to blows again. Then the brunette relaxed. "You better do that. Because if you don't, if you lose before you kick the Uchiha's ass, I _will_ report him for neglect and misconduct befitting a Jonin-instructor."

"I will," Sakura said, "I won't lose."

"See that you don't." Tenten smiled.

* * *

As Sakura and Shino left to find Sasuke, Team Guy and Team 8 shared an awkward silence. Naruto turned to the two. He bowed lightly. The two surprised him by bowing lower.

"I'm sorry for my recent behavior, Naruto-kun."

"Me too, Naruto."

Before Naruto could accept their apology, Hinata stepped in front of him. She crossed her arms and fixed her gaze upon the two.

"And what's brought this on?" She asked.

Lee bowed his head. Tenten looked away.

"Well, after you left, Guy took us aside. We tried to explain our outrage but he shut us down. Then he told us to explain the real reason we blamed you. When we couldn't convince him, he made us do laps around the village until we 'recovered our youthfulness'."

"So you're apologizing because you'll be punished if you don't," Hinata accused.

"No! That's not the reason we're apologizing, Hinata-san." Lee said. "Guy-sensei made us realize that our anger wasn't against Naruto-kun at all, but at ourselves. Naruto-kun was just the easier target."

"What does that mean?"

Tenten sighed. "It's Neji. For a while now, he's been… drifting from us. When we first became Team Guy, he was distant, but that changed after our first couple missions together. We were a real team. He even ate with us sometimes. He even… smiled.

The Hyuga princess's eyes widened.

"It was only for a moment, Hinata-san, but it happened. We were sparring and I came close to defeating him. But he beat me when I incorrectly performed the Konoha-Senpuu (Leaf Whirlwind). I was so excited that I had come so close to defeating him and Neji… he smiled and said that it was a good match."

"But then something changed," Tenten added, "Around three months ago. He started avoiding us. We would come back from missions and he would excuse himself right after coming through the gates. He stopped speaking to us outside of training or missions. And he would shut down every time we cornered him. It was like we were talking to someone who… who… "

"Like someone who fully expected to die," Hinata finished her thought.

Tenten looked stricken then nodded. Lee rubbed at his itching eyes.

"He was distancing himself from you because he felt that he would die soon. He was hoping to lessen the blow for you."

"But why would he think he was going to die?" Kiba asked, stroking Akamaru for comfort.

Naruto stepped out from behind Hinata.

"Perhaps he was about to do something that he believed would end in his death," he said. Hinata's head snapped in his direction. "No."

"He tried it once already."

Tenten noticed their exchanged look. "What? What did he say?"

"He suggested that perhaps Neji was about to do something he was sure that would end in his death."

"Like assassinating a fellow Konoha-nin?" Surprisingly it was Lee who figured it out.

"Lee! You can't mean that!" Tenten protested.

"He already tried before, Ten-chan! Remember what he said."

Hinata's Byakugan activated. The veins around her eyes bulging menacingly.

"What did he tell you?"

Both looked away.

"You both apologized for your unfounded accusations, but I seriously doubt your sincerity if you won't divulge another attempt upon my teammate's life."

Tenten flinched as if struck, and then squared her shoulders. She confessed.

* * *

 _Neji had invited them both to their native training ground after practice. When they arrived, he was already settled under the fading shade of the trees._

 _They approached cautiously._

 _"Tenten, Lee, I have something to confess." He patted the grass beside him. "Take a seat."_

 _They did as told._

 _"What's this about, Neji?" Tenten asked._

 _He didn't answer her. He just stared ahead and spoke:_

 _"I don't care about the exams. I don't care about advancing. I have one goal: to kill Uzumaki Naruto."_

 _When Tenten and Lee tried to protest, he dealt two simultaneous blows to their necks, paralyzing them. Then he relaxed again._

 _"And I will kill anyone who gets in my way. But it won't be out of revenge. No. I have moved past that. It will be because fate has decided it to be so. Fate decided that a child would cause my father's death. Fate decided that my father would be chosen. Fate decided that I would avenge him when it made me a prodigy. It was fate that I failed to kill the Uzumaki. And it will be fate that will guide me to him again. But let me be fair."_

 _He produced a single Ryo coin from his pocket. On one side was the face of the Fire Daimyo. On the other was Konoha's symbol. Heads and tails._

 _"If this lands on the head, then I will abandon my vengeance. If it lands on the tail end, the Uzumaki dies."_

 _He flicked the coin into the air. Despite being paralyzed, Tenten and Lee traced its path, glittering in the dusk light, flipping over and over, heads, tails, heads, tails, heads, tails, until it landed in Neji's open palm. It came up tails._

 _"It's decided then." Neji said. Then he slapped it down onto the back of his other hand. When he revealed the coin, the stern eyes of the Fire Daimyo stared back._

 _"Uzumaki dies."_

* * *

"So he intends to kill Naruto during the Chunin Exams?"

Tenten nodded.

"It makes sense. Father informed me that the second part of the exam would involve an all-out battle where our lives are forfeit. If he killed Naruto then, he wouldn't be liable to the law." Hinata stated in a mechanical voice.

"What I wanna know is where you stand on this." Kiba interjected, taking his place on Naruto's other side. "If Neji finds Naruto, will you look the other way? Or will you try to stop him?"

"There is also the fact that this might be your only chance to save Neji," Hinata continued, "If he is set on killing Naruto, then you might consider helping him. If he does it during the second phase, he'll get away scott free."

"We would never!" Lee protested, his face pale.

"So you would stand against him if it came to it?"

Tenten looked away. Lee looked like he had just been stabbed.

"As I thought," Hinata said, grasping Naruto's hand. "Remember this: If Neji tries to murder _my teammate_ again, I will kill him."

With a final Byakugan-enhanced glare, she stormed away with an apologetic looking blond in tow.

* * *

 **Author's Note: If you haven't noticed, I have another story called The Power of Selfishness.**

 **Another thing: I'm not made of paper. And I admit that I've been fishing for likes. But what I want is feedback, not flattery. So, if you find that there's something you don't like about my story, then you can either leave a constructive comment or PM me. I won't suddenly change things, but it would give me the tools I need to better my writing, and better the reading experience for you.**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading my story, and have a nice day.**

 ***Dives into the sink and disappears with a gurgling sound.***


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